


The Odd One Out

by Starra_Uchiha44



Category: Twilight Series - All Media Types
Genre: AU, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:22:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 100,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27632675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starra_Uchiha44/pseuds/Starra_Uchiha44
Summary: Witches and Vampires were at war to the point of exposure to the humans. To stop this, the Volturi and the Blackthorn Witches came to an agreement and there was peace. But, an incident happens which threatens the peace and Demi must act as an advocate to make sure that agreements stays intact. While there, Demi must endure the Volturi and ends up finding her mate, Alec Volturi. Slow burn. Just for my story, Alec and Jane were changed when they were 17 years old.
Relationships: Alec (Twilight)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 28
Collections: R's Twilight





	1. Chapter 1

The night was calm and the air was clear. There was a slight chill in the air, signalling the beginning of autumn. The leaves followed suite as they lost their vibrant green colour and turned into a brilliant red shade. There were many trees in the forest, the wildlife stretched for miles. Hidden away in the forest was a little cottage, one that appeared normal on the outside but was the exact opposite of normal. At the top left-hand corner, was a window, and behind that window sat a little girl in her bed. The girl was small for her age of ten years old, and she was very skinny. The girl had short brown hair, wild and uncontrollable, with pale skin and startling green eyes. The girl’s name was Demi, and she knew that she should be asleep, but nothing worked. She had tried counting sheep but she soon got bored of that when she reached too high for her to count. She wanted it to be morning already because she hated the nights.  
“Camille?” Demi called out, hoping that her Aunt was still awake. Her small voice seemed to echo in the dark, but she knew that her Aunt would hear her, she always did.  
Slowly, the sound of footsteps reached Demi’s door and it opened softly. “What are you still doing up?” Camille asked with her hands on her hips. Her hair was long and curly, her eyes a deep shade of brown and her skin tanned. She looked young, only in her mid-twenties. She too was wearing her PJs, a soft touch shirt and long red tartan bottoms.  
Demi pouted, “I’m not sleepy,”  
Camille smiled slightly before walking further into the room. “Oh, and what would make you sleepy then?” She asked, sitting down beside Demi, bringing the younger girl closer to her. Demi snuggled into her Aunt happily.  
“How about a story?” Demi suggested hopefully, looking up with her big wide eyes. She craned her neck up so she could face Camille.  
Camille was about to object, but then she looked into Demi’s wide green eyes and she soon found that she didn’t have the heart to disappoint the girl. “Okay, what story would you like?” Camille asked, knowing there was no way she was getting out of this without at least one story being told. Demi loved stories of all kind, and if she had her way, Camille would be telling her five stories a night.  
Demi’s eyes lit up like stars, “I want to hear about the Blackthorn Coven!”  
Not able to hide her amusement, Camille tipped her head back and laughed. “But you know the story already. You know it better than me,” Camille said, tickling Demi’s stomach as she spoke. Demi let out a screech in laughter, twisting her body away from the ticklish sensation.  
“But I like it,” Demi whined loudly.  
Sighing in endearment, Camille smiled. “Okay. Now, where do I begin?” Camille playfully asked, tapping her chin with one finger and her eyes darting around the room.  
Demi rolled her eyes, “From the beginning, duh.” She knew what Camille was doing, and she didn’t appreciate being spoken to like a child – even though she was one. She also knew that Camille was just teasing her.  
Camille laughed and nodded her head, “Ah yes. Well, many years ago – long before I or anyone else was born, there were Witches and Warlocks. Our leader brought them together and made the Blackthorn Coven and they provided shelter and protection to all Witches and Warlocks who needed it. Soon, our numbers grew and we spread out around the world. Do you remember which Blackthorn Coven is the largest?” Camille asked, looking down to the younger girl who was snuggled up to her.  
“The American one,” Demi answered with ease, showing off her wobbly teeth.  
“Correct,” Camille said, looking impressed. “However, the Blackthorn Coven soon caught the attention of another group. Do you remember the name of that group?”  
Demi frowned, a shiver of fear going down her spine, “The Volturi.” She whispered lowly as if she had said a bad word.  
Camille nodded, her expression grim. “The Volturi didn’t like how much power the Blackthorn Coven had and wanted it for themselves. So, they tried to take that power. But, the Witches and Warlocks fought back, and that started a war between the two species. It got so bad, that each side nearly exposed themselves to the humans. Hundreds of Vampires had been killed, but thousands of Witches and Warlocks had also been killed. It was then decided that this couldn’t go on, so a Treaty was made. The Treaty stopped all attacks and brought peace, but as part of the deal, the Treaty must be looked over every hundred years, to make sure there is balance.” Camille stopped speaking when she could little snore beside her. Camille looked down and saw Demi asleep, her eyes closed and a smile on her face. Camille smiled at the sight and carefully manoeuvred herself off the bed so she didn’t wake Demi up. Pulling up the duvet to cover Demi completely, Camille kissed the top of Demi’s head and left the room.  
Walking downstairs, Camille sat back down at the dining room table and back with her guest. “Sorry about that, Scarlett,” Camille said with an apologetic smile.  
Scarlett waved it off, “It’s fine.” The woman was tall and slender. She had long ruby red hair and brown eyes. Everything about the woman screamed beauty and power. The sharp angular jawline, the slightly larger than average nose and the perfectly groomed eyebrows. Her lips were painted red, a deep ruby colour that matched her hair. Her clothes only seemed to further emulate her power, a fine and tailored black blazer with red lining, a white low cut blouse, black dress pants and red high heels.  
Beside her, Camille consciously picked at her old PJs, feeling uncomfortable dressed so casually in front of Scarlet. To distract herself, Camille picked up her discarded cup and drank from it, grimacing when she tasted cold tea. She placed the cup down tentatively, debating whether to make herself a fresh tea.  
“Have you told her yet?” Scarlett asked, examining her fingernails in disinterest.  
Camille stilled where she was, her eyes locked on the cold tea in front of her. “How did you know?” She asked, her voice quiet as if she was scared of people overhearing her.  
Scarlett rolled her eyes, “It’s not exactly hard. I am not head of the Coven for nothing,” To prove a point, Scarlett snapped her fingers, and steam began to flow from Camille’s once cold tea. “So, when are you telling her?” Scarlett asked once more, her eyes trained on Camille. She didn’t like repeating herself, but she allowed Camille to have this moment, knowing that it wasn’t easy.  
Shaking her head, Camille answered. “I can’t tell her. She will be crushed.” Camille looked up the stairs, where Demi’s room was. There was no way that she could tell Demi that she didn’t have magic, it would devastate her.  
“She’s going to find out. You need to tell her before someone else does,” Scarlett warned, her long painted fingernails tapping on the table rhythmically.   
Camille was silent for a moment, not knowing what to say. Typically, a Witch or Warlock began to show magical potential at the age of nine, but Demi had shown zero potential. Demi was already past the age where a Fledging would begin their training – not that anyone had told her that yet. Camille knew that she needed to tell Demi there was no way she could wield magic, but she didn’t want to crush Demi’s dreams. Demi had always expressed how much she wanted to be a Witch and help out with the Coven, but Camille knew that could never happen.  
“It is odd, that Demi doesn’t have any magic. Both her parents were exceptionally powerful. Tobias was especially talented,” Scarlett commented, a slight frown marring her face. She remembered Tobias and his wife, Karla, very well. They were a lovely couple – very awkward but also very much in love with one another. It had been sad to hear that they suffered such a fate.  
Camille frowned and her eyes darkened, “Yes, you would think my brother’s children would have shown some skill,” Her brother had been a powerful Warlock, one that would have become the next Coven Leader when Scarlett stood down, but it wasn’t to be. Karla was also a very powerful Witch in her own right and she had been beloved by most of the Coven.  
Scarlett was silent, watching Camille closely.  
“Have the Council said anything?” Camille asked, clearing her throat as she looked over to Scarlett. She was always unnerved by Scarlett because she never gave anything away, her face was like stone.  
“They have,” Scarlett answered with ease, “they wanted to cast Demi out. They see her lack of magic as a burden, and it doesn’t help that she is Tobias and Karla’s child,” Scarlett’s long painted fingernails had now stopped moving, but this unsettled Camille more.  
Camille closed her eyes for a moment, the news shocking her more than she thought. She had a feeling that the Council would say something like that. The Council didn’t like it when people were weak, any weakness was snuffed out as soon as possible. The Blackthorn Coven was the strongest magical Coven out there, and they wanted to make sure it stayed that way. The Council were always concerned about not looking weak in front of their adversaries, like the Volturi. The Council were filled with the sagest of Witches and Warlocks – old relics that went beyond their sell-by-date. The Council was there to advise the Leader, but ultimately it was the Coven Leader’s decision.  
“And I have elected to ignore their input because it’s stupid,” Scarlett said, a red smirk on her face.  
Camille smiled, relaxing in her seat, knowing that Demi would be safe. Scarlett was never one to listen to the Council and they hated her for it. But Scarlett was a powerful Witch, one of their best in centuries. No one had opposed the decision that Scarlett was to be made the next Coven Leader because everyone knew that Scarlett would wipe the floor with them in minutes.  
“Now, how is the little one,” Scarlett asked, her eyes travelling down to Camille’s stomach. There was a slight bump under Camille’s baggy t-shirt. An untrained eye wouldn’t have spotted the difference, but to Scarlett it was easy.   
Raising her hand, Camille began to rub her stomach lovingly. “She is doing fine, perfect.” Camille looked down at her stomach, remembering when she found out she was pregnant. Camille had been a wreck and filled with anxiety, but that was all in the past. Now, Camille was excited to bring her own child into the world after helping all the other mothers in the Coven bring their little bundles of joy into the world.  
There was a knock on the door, interrupting the chat.  
“Excuse me,” Camille said, standing up to answer the door.  
Scarlett watched this with a trained eye, her face blank of any emotion. Not saying anything, Scarlett silently made her way up the steps until she arrived outside of Demi’s room. Waving her hand, the door opened softly. Scarlett walked into the room, noting how messy the room was. It was filled with toys, thrown about the room. However, the condition and cleanliness of the room didn’t concern her because it was what she expected of a child. Scarlett soon spotted the person she wanted to see.  
Demi was laying on the bed, the duvet on the floor after Demi had kicked it off. She was in an unusual position, her head hanging off the bed while the rest of her body was strewn out, her arms by her head and her feet like a starfish. Laughing softly, Scarlett waved her hand and the wind picked Demi up, placing her back into bed. Scarlett picked up the duvet and placed it over Demi, watching with soft eyes as Demi snuggled into her pillow happily.  
“You poor child. You certainly aren’t going to have an easy life,” Scarlett muttered lowly, her eyes dimmed with sadness. She had many powers, and one the powers that weren’t vastly known to people was that she could see glimpses into the future. She had seen many possible outcomes, and there was one that she was constantly never happy with.  
Unaware of what was happening, Demi snored happily.  
Briefly glancing at the door, Scarlett could sense Camille at the door and she knew she needed to be quick. This was one of the first times Scarlett had been let anywhere near Demi because of how protective Camille was over the younger girl. Turning back to Demi, Scarlett straightened her back and raised her hand, the tip of her finger glowing in the dark. “I cannot undo what has been done, but I can help it. I bestow upon you a gift that will aid and protect you. May you be safe in the future,” Scarlett muttered lowly, placing her glowing finger on Demi’s forehead.  
Demi’s face scrunched up in discontent, the glowing on her forehead spreading down her body, little slithers of yellow and orange dispersed quickly until it disappeared. When the glowing stopped, Demi relaxed, contently sighing before curling up in her bed.  
Seeing that her work was done, Scarlett turned around and began walking away. When she reached the door, she stopped and turned her head. “Good luck,” Scarlett turned back around and walked downstairs.  
Demi rolled over in her bed, the yellow and orange lights flashed once more before disappearing again.

TWILIGHT 

An eleven-year-old Demi was sat in the back of the classroom with a book in hand. The book was about the greatest Witches in Blackthorn history and she was getting through the book rather quickly. Her class was on a break and so all the other children her age were standing around other people’s desks talking with one another. Demi was the only one who wasn’t joining in with the break time chatter, far too focused on the book that she was enjoying. Just as she had finished the last page of the book, she began to tune in to the chatter around her.  
“I’m having a sleepover at mine, you should come!” A girl’s voice said, loud and filled with happiness and laughter.  
Demi looked up, watching as a group of girls on the other side of the room were giggling to themselves, excited for a sleepover. She watched longingly and silently as the girl invited people to her sleepover, but Demi knew she wouldn’t get invited. She never got invited to stuff like that anyway so she didn’t know why she was getting her hopes up. Demi watched the girl invited all the other girls to the sleepover except her.   
The girl looked over at Demi, and she smiled at the girl, silently hoping she would get an invite, but her hopes were dashed when the girl looked away and invited someone else.  
Demi frowned, looking down at her worn book. She was so stupid to think that she would get invited. Demi was never invited to things because she was different from the other children. All of them could use magic but she couldn’t. It had been the worst day of her life when Camille had sat down with her and explained that she would never be able to use magic. Demi had cried for hours and didn’t come out of her room for days until Camille coaxed her out with food. Camille had placed her into the Blackthorn Training Program on her request, but Demi was slightly regretting it. She could never perform the spells needed, but the potions and history she could do and that made Demi happy.  
The teacher, Mr Michaels walked into the room. He was a nice Warlock that understood Demi’s situation and would always be there to help. He was a tall man with short brown hair and brown eyes. He was dressed in a white button-up shirt, black pants and black shoes. “Break times over class,” He said, walking into the room.  
Groans filled the room as the children were forced to return back to their seats. Demi moved her book to the edge of the table, sitting up straight.  
Mr Michael looked at the children with a kind smile, “Now class, we’re going to be doing a little history for this session. Before we start, does anyone have any interesting facts about our history?” His eyes did a sweep around the room, mentally wondering if anyone would raise their hand or if he would need to call on people.   
Demi’s hand immediately shot up.  
“Yes, Demi?” Mr Michaels asked, looking at her.  
“The first Witch killed in the Salem Witch Trials was from the Blackthorn Coven,” Demi said, her eyes widened in excitement. She loved history and loved learning about it. At every chance she got, she would have her nose in a book as long as it was about history. Her favourite parts of history were learning about the Blackthorn Coven but Ancient Egypt came up a very close second.  
Mr Michaels beamed in pride, “That is interesting. And you are correct, the first Witch ever killed in the Salem Witch Trial was called Bridget Bishop. Now, today we’re going to be learning about the Witch Trials. I want all of you to write a short paragraph describing them.” With a flick of his wrists, the paper appeared in front of all his students, as well as pens.   
Demi immediately picked up her pen and began writing. She didn’t pay attention to the other children groaning at the assignment, she got stuck in and began writing. It didn’t take her long to complete because of how excited she was to write it. She had filled in the entire page, not able to keep it all to one paragraph. Once she was finished, she smiled at her work, filled with pride that Mr Michaels was going to love it.  
“She’s such a nerd,”  
Demi frowned when she heard the familiar whispers of the other children. She knew exactly who was talking about her, Alesha Pimlet. She and Alesha used to be friends before she found out that Demi couldn’t use magic. When Alesha found out, she refused to be friends with someone inept in magic.  
“I know! She’s such a know-it-all!”  
“That’s because she’s got no friends!”  
“I don’t even understand why she’s even allowed to be in the same class as us. She’s such a waste of space,”  
Demi looked down at her piece of paper, hiding her face away from everyone. Tears stung the back of eyes as the words hurt her and she had to stop herself from crying, willing the tears to go away. She didn’t want them to see the effect their words had on her. Demi knew that she should be used it to because they did it every day but it stung just as badly every single time. Demi looked at Mr Michaels, hoping he had heard and would stand up for her, but he hadn’t. Mr Michaels was sat at his desk, absorbed into his book that he didn’t notice what was being said. Demi looked back down at her desk, wishing that class would be over soon so she didn’t have to listen to the girls talk about her.  
The rest of the class passed too slowly for Demi’s liking. Alesha and her friends had continued to speak about her and by the end of it, Demi had nearly cried a few times. Demi hadn’t participated when Mr Michaels had asked if anyone wanted to read out their paragraph because she didn’t want to draw any attention to herself. Demi was so down she didn’t even notice Mr Michaels shoot her concerned looks.  
As the bell rung, signally break time, all the children filed out to go out and play. However, Demi stayed behind, not wanting to join the others. There was no point anyway. Demi would be left on the side-lines, watching as everyone else played games with one another as they left her out. In the beginning, she would always ask them to play but the children would make excuses as to why she couldn’t join in. It wasn’t their game. They had too many players, but then when someone else asked, they would be allowed to join. It was a game that involved magic and so she couldn’t play. Demi had heard all the excuses and so she had given up asking.  
Sitting alone at her desk, Demi watched all the children play with one another. Longing and jealousy in her eyes. If only she had been born with magic then she would have been able to play with the other children.  
“Demi, is everything okay?” Mr Michaels asked, looking at her concerned. Demi was his star pupil in history and was concerned when she didn’t participate.  
Demi looked at him and smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I’m fine.”  
Mr Michaels stared at her for a few moments, not saying anything. “Why don’t you go play with all the others?” He suggested lightly, looking out the window to all the other children.  
Demi shook her head, “No, it’s fine,” Again she smiled, but it was fake. She smiled because she didn’t want people to worry about her. She could get through this without snitching on people. It never worked anyway and then people would just call her a grass under their breath. She didn’t need any extra attention as it was.  
“You know Demi,” Mr Michaels began, “There are plenty of Witches out there who did great things without any magic,”  
“Like who?” Demi challenged, her posture immediately tensed.  
Mr Michaels thought to himself for a moment, a finger tapping his chin. “Well, there was Jane Austen. Brilliant writer, but not too great at magic. Same with Maya Angelou, an absolute inspiration, but her magic not so much,”  
“At least they had magic,” Demi muttered under her breath.  
Mr Michaels winced, hearing this. “Yes, that is true. But it also shows that you don’t need magic to succeed. History class is an example. You don’t need magic for that, and you’ve proved that. The same can be said for potions class, it’s just like cooking and doesn’t require magic. I have magic and I’m terrible at potions,” Mr Michaels snorted, knowing how bad he was at cooking. His wife had to cook because if he got anywhere near the kitchen, the electrics would go haywire.   
Slowly, Demi started to feel a little better.  
“What I am saying is, maybe you should focus on your strengths instead of what you can’t do. Not having magic isn’t your fault,” Mr Michaels said before standing up, “Now, I’ll be back. Make sure no one gets in trouble,” He winked at her before leaving the room.  
Demi watched him go, a smile on her face. Mr Michaels was right, she needed to focus on the things she could do. She could do potions and complete the history module with no issues. Demi took pride in the fact no one else seemed to be able to do potions, others seeing it as pointless and unnecessary. Magic wasn’t necessarily needed to complete the training program. Just as long as she had knowledge around the other subjects, she could pass.   
Just then, the door slammed open and in walked Alesha and her crew. When they saw Demi on her own, Alesha smiled wickedly. “Well, well, well. If it isn’t the little freak,” The girls around Alesha laughed, all of them looking at each other.  
Demi jaw clenched, her mood turning sour in record time.  
Alesha walked further into the room. “You know it’s a wonder you’re even allowed in the program. You’re not good at anything,”  
Demi took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly as she tried to get control of her emotions. She was starting to get angry. Just when she was feeling better about herself, someone had to come in and ruin it.  
“I mean, it’s not like you’re good at anything,” Alesha continued.  
Demi glared at her, “You have magic yet you can’t even brew a simple potion. Your mum had to help you,”  
Alesha flushed red as the other girls laughed at the remark. She glared at the other girls before turning back to Demi. “At least I have a mother,” She hissed back.  
Demi felt a knife pierce her heart at the reminder. It felt like someone had just reached into her chest and crushed her heart into a million pieces.  
“Alesha! We aren’t supposed to mention that!” One of the girls said, looking at Alesha with a concerned expression. It had been an order throughout the Coven that they weren’t allowed to speak about what happened with Demi’s parents and everyone followed it.  
“Well, it’s true!” Alesha exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air.  
“Take it back!” Demi yelled out, jumping off her seat and stood in front of Alesha, “Take it back!” She yelled again, the back of her eyes stung as the tears threatened to come.  
Alesha pushed Demi back, “Make me, freak!”  
Demi yelled out she charged at Alesha, knocking her down to the ground as she began to punch, scratch and bite Alesha. Alesha screamed as she tried to fight back. Demi didn’t know what was she yelling, everything had become a haze and she was feeling extremely hot like she was burning from the inside.  
“Get her off me!” Alesha yelled out in pain.  
Alesha’s two friends ran into the fray and grabbed Demi off Alesha. “Take it back!” Demi continued to yell as she struggled to get free from Alesha’s friends. Sweat clung to her face, her face now shiny and flushed red as though she had just run a marathon.   
Once she was free, Alesha stood up and slapped Demi across the face a few times, getting her own back. “Make me!” She yelled back, a malicious grin on her face.  
Demi was feeling too hot. She had never been this hot before, even when during the summer when the heat had been unrelenting. It was scorching and the world around her seemed to go dizzy. She didn’t even feel the slaps anymore, everything was morphing into one. She felt sick, like when she got a head cold that wouldn’t go away because everything around her felt fuzzy. Demi’s neck slumped forward, not able to keep herself up as her body when slack.  
One of Alesha’s friends noticed this. “Hey, I think something is wrong with her,”  
“She probably faking for attention,” Alesha said while rolling her eyes.  
Demi suddenly let out a scream of pain as her temperature skyrocketed. The heat was too much for her to handle and it burned. It felt like her whole body was on fire and lava was in her veins instead of blood. It scared her because she didn’t know what was happening, this had never happened before. She had never been in this much pain in her whole life and it was scary. Demi shrieked in agony once more as the burning pain travelled to her hands, the heat concentrating around the hands instead.  
The girls holding onto Demi let her go as they let out a scream each. Alesha looked at them concerned. The girls looked down at their hands and saw that they had been burned. “What the hell?!” Alesha exclaimed, jumping back in shock.  
Demi fell to the ground in pain. A hissing sound echoed through the room as the wood burned under her hands.  
Alesha and the girls let a scream as they fled the room, leaving Demi behind. Demi lay on the ground, writhing in pain. She didn’t know what was happening to her and she was scared. She just wanted the pain to go away.  
Mr Michaels ran into the room, panic on his face. He had heard the screams from the other side of the school and it scared him. He had seen Alesha and her friends running away in tears and it made him fear the worst. His fears were only further confirmed when he heard Demi scream, he had never heard a child scream in such agony before. He looked around the room for a moment, but then saw Demi and his eyes widened, “Demi, what’s wrong?” He rushed over to her, but stopped when he felt he was getting too close to a fire.   
“It burns!” Demi yelled out in pain. She was silently begging that he could help her and make this pain go away. It was getting worse as time went on, and Demi feared she would either melt aware or die.   
Mr Michaels reached out to help her, but hissed in pain when he was met with unbearable heat. Retracting his hand, he looked down and saw it had been burned. Fear crept into his eyes, not knowing what to do. He tried to summon Water Magic to help combat against the sheer heat, wrapping Demi around in a cocoon of water but it didn’t seem to help. If anything, Demi screamed louder as a loud and angry hissing sound echoed in the room.   
This was the last thing Demi saw as she fell unconscious.


	2. Chapter 2

Six Years Later 

Demi was kneeled down on the grass of her large back garden filled with many plants and herbs. There was some exotic plants that was used in trickier potions, but then there was other common herbs that was used in everyday potions. This was her little garden and she treasured it deeply – without it she probably would have gone inside. Demi pushed back her shoulder-length curly brown hair, pulling it into a ponytail so it didn’t get in her way and then she rubbed her tired green eyes. She was still small and had not grown much, puberty hadn’t been kind so far because she was smaller than the average Witch. She still had her round face and big curious eyes. It was because of this people always assumed that she was younger than seventeen and it never failed to insult her. Demi wore a dark blue cloak, to protect herself from the harsh autumn winds. Next to Demi, there was a basket filled with different herbs and plants that she would sort through later. She always liked to have a batch of herbs ready to use in the cottage in case she ever needed them.   
She hummed a tune to herself as she picked the plants, her hands were covered in black gloves so she didn’t prick herself or get her hands dirty. She stopped humming for a moment and looked around the garden, her eyes narrowed for a moment as she thought to herself, wondering if she needed to pick anymore herbs. Demi stood once she got the herbs she needed. Walking not even a foot away, she stopped once she reached her little cauldron that was under a small fire. The cauldron bubbled away, light blue in colour with a slight floral scent. Demi sighed in relief when she saw it hadn’t changed from the light shade of blue, and then she began to stir the potion anti-clockwise eight times before she stopped.  
“Now, a little Latherleaf,” Demi said as she reached into her basket and grabbed the flower that she needed. She threw the plant into the cauldron and the mixture hissed upon contact as the plant disappeared into the concoction. The colour of the potion turned a darker shade of blue as Demi stirred – just as it should be. Demi stepped back, letting the potion simmer for a few moments. The potion had stayed a solid dark blue for five minutes, meaning that she had been successful and she had brewed a truth potion. They were notably difficult to make and this had been Demi’s third attempt – the other two hadn’t gone to plan and ended up blowing up in her face. Demi could have cheered out loud, but she held herself back. She didn’t need any more curious looks than she already got.   
“Demi! Come back inside before you freeze!” Camille shouted from the cottage nearby.  
Demi’s green eyes went over to the house and she scowled. She had never been cold before, she could easily go without her cloak and gloves when it was snowing and she still wouldn’t feel the cold. “Coming, Camille!” Demi called back, knowing not to argue to her Aunt and Caretaker. Standing up, Demi moved the cauldron off the fire and drowned the fire with a cup of water she had brought with her. She then picked up her basket, her cauldron and walked back to the house, no longer humming to herself.   
As she walked, Demi’s eyes regarded at the cottage in front of her. It was a simple cottage with a chimney that always had smoke coming out of it. The cottage looked small, but appearances could be deceiving. The cottage walls were painted white with dark brown wooden blocks decorating the outside and straw on the roof. It looked plain and simple, any person who walked by wouldn’t even give it a second glance, which is what made it a perfect hiding place. Once inside the house, Demi shed her cloak and put it on the hook nearby. She then took off her boots, knowing how much Camille hated it when she accidentally brought in mud and dirt. Now that the cloak and gloves were gone, Demi was wearing a light blue V-neck shirt and a pair of dark blue skinny jeans with white socks.  
Demi looked over the kitchen and saw no one in there. Demi placed the basket and the cauldron down on the side. She intended to bottle the potion soon and show Camille. “Camille, I got the herbs you wanted,” Demi said, walking further into the cottage. As she walked out of the kitchen, she noticed that Camille was in the living room, which was very spacious. Camille was sat down on the couch with her daughter on her lap.  
“Thank you, Demi,” Camille said with a smile, but her eyes were focused on her daughter.  
Lily looked over to Demi and smiled widely, “Demi! Mommy’s doing my hair!” Lily exclaimed, her brown eyes lit up in happiness. Her small body practically vibrated with how excited she was, just by having her own mother do her hair.  
Demi couldn’t fight the smile, Lily was too adorable. Lily was small, even for a seven-year-old as she barely reached Demi’s ribcage. Lily had long blonde hair and brown eyes that radiated innocence. Lily was an open book, one that Demi could read easily. “That’s nice, Lily,” Demi said softly, adoration in her eyes. She loved Lily dearly as if she was her sister rather than her cousin.  
Lily beaming smile got even brighter. “I also learned a new spell today!”  
The smile on Demi’s face immediately dropped and her eyes had lost the spark that had been there moments ago. It felt like Demi had been slapped in the face. Camille stopped doing Lily’s hair for a moment and watched Demi carefully. Her brown eyes examined Demi carefully, her body tensed in case she needed to spring into action.  
“That’s great, Lily-bear,” Demi said, a forced smile on her face. Demi knew that it wasn’t Lily’s fault, of course Lily would be excited to share her achievements. Lily was a child and didn’t know any better and that’s something she couldn’t blame Lily for. She didn’t see the big deal about Demi not having magic which Demi thought to be sweet. But, that didn’t mean she wasn’t hurt. It wounded her ego and pride more than anything, that a seven-year-old was able to perform spells whereas she couldn’t.   
However, Lily hadn’t noticed this and continued to hum to herself happily, in her own little world.  
Camille softly patted her daughter’s head. “Dear, why don’t you go get ready for bed,” Camille suggested softly to her daughter after she had finished her hair.  
Lily nodded her head, “Okay!” She carefully got up from Camille’s lap, quickly hugged Demi’s legs before she skipped out of the room to get ready for bedtime. While she did this, there a huge smile on her face, showing off her wonky teeth.  
“Demi,” Camille began when Lily was out of sight, her tone lightly scolding.  
“I’m fine.” Demi snapped back before she turned around and walked over to the stairs. Demi walked up the stairs and went into her room, wanting to be alone for the time being. She didn’t slam the door because she didn’t want Lily to know that she was upset.   
Camille watched Demi go, sadness in her eyes.  
Demi flopped onto her bed and sighed deeply. She didn’t know how she felt at this point. She was happy for Lily, she was only seven years old and she had already learned her first spell – something most Witches couldn’t accomplish, but Lily was a prodigy. Normal Witches didn’t start using magic until they turned nine years old, but Lily was already ahead of the game. It was because of this, that Camille had placed Lily in the training program early and she flourished under the program, unlike Demi. Nonetheless, Demi couldn’t help but feel jealous because she had never been able to perform an actual spell. Demi had tried, but nothing would happen. Standing up, Demi walked over to her bookcase and picked up the book she had been reading earlier that day. Looking around her room, Demi noted its simplicity. There was a single bed pressed up against the door adjacent the door. The walls were painted a soft blue colour and the carpets a darker blue colour. Opposite her bed, there was a large curved window with the perfect cushioned ledge for her to sit on. Next to the window, there was a large bookcase, filled with books about magic and fiction. Demi sat on her ledge and looked around the window and looked down at the forest that surrounded the cottage.  
Demi briefly paid attention to the familiar tawny owl that flew towards the cottage. Demi absentmindedly recognised it as Camille’s familiar, Terra. Terra would always deliver their post, but it was odd to see Terra out this late at night. Terra was a lazy owl and didn’t like to be out past a certain time. However, Demi dismissed it as unimportant and tried to focus on her book to distract herself.  
“This is a disaster!”  
Demi looked towards her door, where she had heard shouting. It had come from downstairs and the outraged voice belonged to Camille. Frowning, Demi thought it to be odd. Camille didn’t like to raise her voice this late because she didn’t want Lily to be disturbed at night. Lily was always hard to put to bed and she would never go back to sleep if disturbed. Getting up from her spot, Demi placed her book on the ledge and opened her door softly, so no one could hear her. Now that she was on the landing, Demi listened in.  
“How could this happen?! This a clear violation of the treaty.” Camille hissed lowly, her tone seething.  
Another voice sighed, “What do you expect? This is very typical of them.” Demi instantly recognised this voice, it belonged to Rhonda, Camille’s long time best friend. Demi liked Rhonda, but she thought that Rhonda drank far too much and most times, she was already drunk. Demi could confidently say that she had never seen Rhonda sober or without a drink in her hand.  
Curiosity took over everything and Demi made her way downstairs until she was back in the living room. Demi instantly saw Camille pacing around the room, and Rhonda sat on the couch, with a wine glass in her hands – filled to the brim. Wine wasn’t usually Rhonda’s choice of drink but it’s the only form of alcohol Camille would keep in the house so she had no choice. Rhonda was an older woman with auburn hair and brown eyes. She was dressed in a simple white jumper and blue jeans with brown boots.  
Demi’s green eyes scanned the room, noting the open letter on the dining room table and Terra on her usual perch by the window. “What happened?” Demi asked, breaking the silence. She could feel the tension in the air and could see it in Camille. Her shoulders were hunched together and Camille had notable frown lines on her forehead, something she only got when she was stressed out. Something in that letter had made Camille act like this, something which didn’t happen often.  
“Nothing, go back to your room,” Camille said, not looking at Demi.  
Rhonda rolled her eyes, “Oh come on. This concerns all of us. Tell the kid,” She said as she took a sip of her wine.  
Camille stopped pacing and sent her an unimpressed look.  
Ignoring Camille, Rhonda looked to the younger girl. “There has been a breach in the Treaty with the Vampires,” She said bluntly, her voice hardened as she scowled darkly.  
Demi’s eyes widened as this news. Since she had been alive, there had always been a Peace Treaty between the Vampires and Witches, one that had been going for hundreds of years, ever since the Salem Witch Trials ended in 1963. That Treaty had been the start of change between the species, as there wasn’t that bubbling animosity anymore. Ever since that original Treaty had been put in place, there hadn’t been no issues. “On whose side?” Demi asked, not able to help herself.  
Rhonda raised a bushy brow, “On whose side do you think?” She asked while she rolled her eyes.  
“It was the Vampires. They’ve attacked our Coven in Russia,” Camille answered with a dark expression. Her fists were clenched in anger, the emotion rolling off her in waves. The lights in the room flickered for a moment and the electronics within the room hissed lowly.  
Rhonda’s eyes snapped over to Camille, “Calm down, now.” Rhonda snapped quietly, her shoulders tight and hunched together. Demi watched Camille for a moment in shock. She had never seen Camille so unhinged before, but she could understand. The Blackthorns only had three official Covens around the world, in America, Russia and the UK. The Blackthorn Coven in Russia was the second-largest Coven, followed then by the UK. They had many unofficial Covens around the world that were all under the protection of the Blackthorns. Just like the Volturi was the governing body of the Vampires, the Blackthorns were the governing body of the Witches. Their Russian Coven was strong and the fact the Vampires had challenged this was a direct threat to the Blackthorn Coven. It was a direct threat to the Treaty put in place and that was never a good sign.  
“I’m fine,” Camille said as she inhaled deeply through her nose. The lights stopped flicking and the electronics stopped hissing as if it had never happened.  
There was silence in the room for a moment, both Rhonda and Demi giving Camille a chance to fully calm down. After a few minutes, Demi deemed it safe to speak. “Where there any casualties?” Demi asked, looking to Camille.  
Camille nodded her head, “Yes. One is dead and a few more injured. Most are in shock.” Reading the letter about the causality had sent her emotions reeling, an attack from Vampires hadn’t happened in a long time. This had been the first attack to happen in her reign as Leader of the Blackthorn Coven. Camille knew that it wouldn’t look good either and she needed to act soon to regain control of the situation before something else happened. She also needed to ensure that her response to the situation was thorough otherwise she would have the Elders breathing down her neck. The Elders already disliked her she refused to give them another reason to dethrone her.   
Rhonda inhaled sharply, “This doesn’t look good,” She said and she took a big sip of her wine.  
“What does this mean for the Treaty?” Demi asked curiously. That agreement was the only thing that stopped Vampires and Witches from killing one another again – a terrifying thought that sent shivers down her spine in fright. She had heard all the stories about how ferociously the Vampires had attacked the Covens and none of them were pleasant. In all the accounts Demi had read, the Vampires had taken particular delight in killing them and draining the blood from their bodies. In return, the Witches had burned the Vampires to a crisp until there was nothing left of them.   
Rhonda snorted in response, “Obviously it means shit.”  
“Rhonda!” Camille scolded before she turned to Demi, “It means that someone will have to pay a visit to the Volturi and sort this mess out. I just need to find the right Witch,” Camille said with a frown. Mentally, she was going through a list in her head of Witches or Warlocks that could be sent.  
Demi nodded her head, agreeing with Camille.  
Rhonda lowered her wine glass for a moment. “Camille, that may be a problem,” She said seriously, her tone ominous.  
“Why?” Camille asked, a frown on her face.  
“Most of the Blackthorns are already meeting with other groups to discuss their agreements. Others are on pilgrimages, which cannot be interrupted for nothing and you know this. You can’t go because you’re our Leader and I am banned.” Rhonda pointed out. The Leader of all the Covens couldn’t visit the Volturi because the risk was too great and it was very rare that the Leader of the Blackthorns ever left America in general.  
The room was silent for a moment before Camille cursed loudly.  
Demi looked at Rhonda with an arched brow, “You’re banned?” She had never heard of any Witch being band from the Volterra before, but she knew not to put it past Rhonda. When Rhonda was drunk she had no filter and she had no issue in telling the Volturi what she thought about them.  
Rhonda grinned wildly, “Yep. Volturi said if they ever saw me again, they would kill me on sight. Let’s just say Caius doesn’t like me,” She said with pride shining in her eyes.  
Demi grinned in response. She could only imagine what Rhonda had to have done to make one of Three Kings hate her so much. However, from what she had heard about Caius, it wouldn’t take a lot.  
The lights in the room flickered once more. “This isn’t time for jokes!” Camille exclaimed, her face flushed with anger, “We need to send someone soon otherwise the Volturi are going to cancel the agreement.”  
“Isn’t someone usually assigned to go?” Demi asked, looking to Camille with a confused expression. The agreements with other species have always been organised ahead of time, especially with the Vampires. They had one hundred years to prepare for the next visit. The relationship between Vampires and Witches had always been fragile, which is why that meeting was the one that caused the most stress for any Witch. It didn’t help that Warlocks couldn’t attend as they were very rare and the Coven couldn’t risk losing them.   
Camille nodded her head, “Usually yes, but the next meeting wasn’t scheduled for another two years. Penelope was the one assigned to this as it was her great grandmother that went to the meeting last time. But she is away and I am not allowed to disrupt a pilgrimage.” Camille answered with a scowl. When a Witch or a Warlock went on a pilgrimage, it was sacred and couldn’t be disturbed no matter what. This was because this was a chance for Witches to reconnect with the dead – more specifically their ancestors. It was one of the Witches most important rules and no one could overturn this rule – not even the Coven Leader.  
“And it won’t be long before the Volturi sends an invitation. When it comes, we can’t ignore it either,” Rhonda added with a grim expression. No one could ignore an invitation from the Volturi, if they did, the Volturi would come to enquire as to why it was rejected, and that would spell trouble for the recipient. No one ignored the Volturi and got away with it.  
Camille paced around the room once more. “What about Phoebe?” Camille asked, stopping for a moment, her eyes lighting up at the idea. Phoebe would be a perfect choice; she was polite, respectful and Aro liked her. Phoebe had a calming effect on people that would help sooth any situation. Even Caius hadn’t voiced his disliked about Phoebe, yet.   
“Isn’t she already meeting the Shapeshifters in Forks?” Demi asked, her brows furrowed together in thought. She remembered Phoebe leaving the day before and knew she wouldn’t be back for another week at least. The usual meeting could take a couple days – a week at most, and then there was the travelling to and from the destination. The meetings couldn’t be rushed either because then that would be seen as rude.  
Meaning that Phoebe was not an option.  
Rhonda nodded her head, “That she is.”  
“Damn,” Camille cursed. That was her back up plan if Penelope couldn’t attend, but Camille couldn’t pull Phoebe out either. It would be disrespectful to the Shapeshifters and they wouldn’t take it too kindly. The Witches and Shapeshifters had a confusing relationship, they could be friends one minute and then be at each other’s throats the next. Camille didn’t want to risk upsetting anyone, especially when things were looking good for their agreement.  
“What about Robeena?” Rhonda asked.  
Camille shook her head, “No good. Her daughter is extremely unwell at the moment, her pregnancy hasn’t exactly been easy. She won’t leave her daughter’s side and Aro isn’t a fan of her.” Choosing an appropriate Witch was very important, she had to ensure that Aro at least liked who they would send. If not, it could end disastrously. Aro had made his feelings known about Robeena in passing and Camille didn’t want to risk Robeena’s life.  
Rhonda sighed but agreed with Camille nonetheless.  
“What if we asked someone from the Russian or the UK Coven to go?” Camille asked with a hopeful expression.   
“No, that wouldn’t work,” Rhonda shot down immediately.   
Demi nodded her head in agreement as she understood why this would be a bad idea. It would be in bad taste to send someone from the Russian Coven since they had just been attacked. They were too emotionally invested in the situation and it wouldn’t be good to mix in the Volturi. Sending someone from the UK Coven wouldn’t work either because they had a strained relationship with the American Coven as they didn’t fully support Camille as the Leader. The UK Coven had tried to get Camille to back down from being the Leader, demanding that they found Scarlet again appoint her the Leader again, but unfortunately no one could find her.   
Camille looked at Rhonda with a confused expression. However, it soon dawned on her why she couldn’t send someone from the other Covens and she cursed.   
Demi was silent for a moment, thinking about possible options. But there weren’t any options left. No one was available, but if they didn’t send someone, it could be a disaster. No one fit the requirements either. They had to be liked by Aro, had to have proficient knowledge in the Treaty and Witch Legislation among other things and couldn’t be a Warlock.   
“I could go,” Demi said suddenly.  
Camille stopped pacing and Rhonda’s wine glass exploded in her hand, her grip had become too tight. The glass flew everyone, little pieces flying to odd corners of the room and landing on the ground like rain. However, no one paid attention to that, everyone was far too focused on what had just been said.  
“What did you say?” Camille asked, looking at Demi as if she had just committed the worst sin of all. For a moment, Camille thought she had misheard Demi, but from Rhonda’s reaction, Camille knew she hadn’t misheard.  
Rhonda remained silent, too shocked to say anything.  
Internally, Demi panicked. She hadn’t realised she had said it out loud, she had just been mentally musing. There really was no one else to go to the meeting and she had said the first thing that came to mind. Demi instantly regretted what she said, but it was too late to take it away now. Demi sighing deeply, willing herself to continue because it was too late now. “You said it yourself, there isn’t anyone else. You can’t go and neither can Rhonda,” Demi said as she pointed to Rhonda.  
“No,” Camille answered immediately.  
“Just give me a chance!” Demi exclaimed her hands up in a praying motion. “I know all about the Peace Treaty and what’s in it. I am very knowledgeable about the different Legislation and Policies surrounded the Coven. As you said, you can’t spare anyone else!”  
Camille shook her head, “My answer is no. Someone like you-” Her eyes widened at her mistake and she stopped talking. Internally, she hoped that Demi hadn’t realised what she was about to say.   
However, it wasn’t hard to decipher what Camille had nearly said. Demi glared at Camille, fire in her eyes. “Finish that sentence, I dare you,” She hissed lowly, anger rolling off her in waves. Demi could feel her temper climbing but she didn’t care. She knew what Camille was about to say, she didn’t actually need to say the words for Demi to know what she was thinking. Camille didn’t want to send someone like her who didn’t have magic.  
“Demi, it doesn’t matter,” Camille said as she shook her head, trying to cool down the situation before it became explosive,  
“Yes, it does!” Demi yelled out, throwing her hands into the air, “It’s the whole reason people in this Coven look down on me! Because I can’t use magic!” The room began to get hotter, the temperature rising fast. The candles around the room began to flicker dangerously, coming to life and then died instantly.  
Rhonda noted this and pulled at the collar of her jumper. “Demi, take deep breaths, now,” Rhonda ordered sternly, knowing where this was going to lead.  
Demi clenched her teeth but did as Rhonda instructed. She took a few deep breathes, her anger slowly calmed down. The room noticeably cooled down and Rhonda no longer felt like she would overheat. After a few minutes, Demi had completely calmed and there was a noticeable smell of candles burning.  
“This is why you can go. You’re not mature enough,” Camille said, shaking her head.  
Demi looked up at Camille, anger no longer in her green eyes, but hurt. It was like Camille had just slapped her in the face and her words stung badly. Saying nothing, Demi turned around and walked through the kitchen, grabbing her cloak and boots before leaving the cottage, her lip quivering as she left. The words had hurt Demi more than she expected. Demi ignored Camille and Rhonda’s calls and ran into the backyard, away from the cottage. She needed some time away from Camille.  
“You took it too far,” Rhonda said, a frown on her face.  
“I had to Rhonda,” Camille said, frowning as well, “She can’t go. What if Aro or Caius say something she doesn’t like? She can’t go blowing up the castle like she nearly did here. They wouldn’t take too kindly to it.”  
Rhonda was silent for a moment, “I think it would be good for her,” She said as she waved her hand around so the broken wine glass repaired itself. The glass came together and was back in her hand, looking brand new and with zero cracks. Rhonda waved her hand and brought the wine bottle closer to her, making it pour itself. When she was happy with the amount, she dismissed the wine bottle.  
Camille stared at Rhonda as if she was crazy, “How could you say that?!”  
“Demi is smart, far smarter than you give her credit for,” Rhonda answered, taking a large gulp of her wine, liking the burn.  
“But she doesn’t have the magic to protect her. They’ll kill her.” Camille argued back.  
Rhonda considered it for a moment. “But she does have a gift, something that is extremely useful.” She said, taking another sip from the wine glass.  
“She doesn’t have control of it,” Camille dismissed, shaking her head.  
Rhonda stared at Camille is disbelief, “Yes, she does. Demi has marvellous control over it, better than some Witches and Warlocks. She just has a temper, and considering how she gets treated by some Coven members, I can understand why.” Everyone was aware what the consensus was on Demi and it wasn’t a favourable one. If it wasn’t for Scarlett and Camille, Demi would have been kicked out long ago.  
Camille frowned, guiltily. “You can go see the Volturi,” She said, looking to Rhonda with a pleading look.  
Shaking her head, Rhonda answered, “I can’t. If I go, they will question why I was sent because they hate me. If you send me or anyone else they don’t like, it will be an obvious sign that there was no one else and they would perceive that as a weakness. If they perceive us as weak, then it's game over.” Rhonda examined her wine glass carefully before she looked back at Camille. The whole reason the Treaty was set up was that both sides were powerful and neither one could overpower the other. If Caius detected the slightest bit of weakness, he would attack the Coven and exterminate all Witches and Warlocks – no questions asked. This was why the Treaty with the Vampires was so delicate and needed the most attention because if anything went wrong, then the results would be devastating.   
Camille pressed her lips together, reluctantly agreeing with everything Rhonda had said. “Demi is extremely smart. She doesn’t have magic so she has had to make up for it in other ways. Yes, she has her gift, but she won’t be able to defend herself against the Volturi’s powers.” Camille said with a sigh in her tone.  
“Then teach her. Make her a talisman or a charm. Get her ready, but don’t push her aside.” Rhonda said, standing up. Camille had run out of wine so that was Rhonda’s cue to leave so she could get a real drink.  
Camille watched Rhonda leave, sighing deeply as walked over to the kitchen. Camille looked out of the window and spotted Demi near the little pond, just sitting there. Camille watched Demi thoughtfully, she knew both Rhonda and Demi were right. She couldn’t spare any Witch or Warlock at the moment – there wasn’t anyone to spare. But sending Demi came with risks, ones that she didn’t want to even think about.


	3. Chapter 3

Demi sat at the pond and watched as the little fishes swam quietly. This was one of the places she would come when she felt overwhelmed. When she was younger, she used to visit the spot all the time – sometimes four times a day. But as she got older, she spent less time there. Demi struggled to process what had happened because the one person who she didn’t think would throw her lack of magic in her face was Camille, and when she did, it stung badly. Demi’s lack of magic was something that wasn’t allowed to be spoken about in the Coven – especially after the incident six years ago – but people did it anyway. Camille had to pull her out of the Program and home school her after she nearly burned down the school itself for her safety and the other children’s safety. Demi heard what people called her behind her back or when they thought she wasn’t listening. People whispered that she didn’t belong in the Coven and that she should be exiled and it only got worse as time went on. Ever since the incident in the classroom, people were scared of her and parents would hide their children when they saw Demi. They whispered that she was unstable and if left unchecked, she would burn them all.  
Demi looked down at the grass where her hands had been and noticed the scorch marks. Huge black marks the shape of her hands were branded into the grass and it was a deadly reminder of how her emotions affected her gift. Demi sighed deeply before she moved her hands and crossed them over her waist as if to protect herself. Demi noted that the palms of her hands were still warm, indicating that she was still in the danger zone of her emotions. She may not have been able to use magic, but Demi has been blessed.  
Scarlett, the Coven Leader before Camille had blessed Demi when she was ten years old. However, Demi didn’t remember this happening and had been confused as to how this happened in the first place. Camille had been just as confused and had tried to track down Scarlet for answers, but to no avail. Ever since then, Demi had been able to wield fire to her will. Camille had tried to take away the power when she became Leader but she was unable to. Not all Leaders could bless people, but Scarlett was different and defied all the odds. She had disregarded the Council when she blessed Demi with fire and they had been furious. Scarlett had seen something in Demi – something Demi still questioned to this day. Demi may not be able to use magic, but she tried her hardest to control her fire so she trained every day, meditating and learning to summon and manipulate the fire. However, there were times that she lost control – like when she got angry. Demi knew that her emotions controlled her gift and that’s what made her dangerous.  
At least, that how her peers viewed her. If she was alone before, she was completely isolated now. But she understood it was for their safety more than anything else. If Camille hadn’t of pulled her out, Demi was sure that the other parents would have protested. Fire was not an easy element to master and was one of the hardest to learn or wield. Powerful Witches and Warlocks who had practised for many years could not master the fire element because it was too strong, too wilful. They could manipulate it, but no Witch or Warlock could summon fire. Only the Coven Leader could summon the elements but even Camille struggled to summon it and it was weak. That’s why Demi was feared because it bent to her will and she could command the fire as she saw fit.   
Demi vaguely heard footsteps but she ignored them. However, they stopped when they were mere feet away from her.  
“Demi,” Camille started but stopped talking when she struggled to think about what she wanted to say first.  
Turning her head, Demi saw Camille stood there, looking awkward and nervous. “Come to berate me more?” Demi scowled darkly, not wanting to be near Camille at the moment. She got that her idea wasn’t the greatest, but to be dismissed and talked down to wasn’t appreciated. She got that enough from the other members of the Coven, she didn’t need it from Camille who was meant to be her only supporter.  
Camille visibly winced at her words. “No, I am here to apologise,” Camille said as she sat down next to Demi.  
Demi frowned but didn’t say anything.  
“I am sorry Demi,” Camille said lowly, “I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that.”  
Demi shook her head, “You don’t get it. I am the odd one out, the one who doesn’t have magic. People treat me as though I shouldn’t be here and it hurts. I just want a chance to prove myself to the Coven,” This was something Demi had longed for, a chance to show everyone that they were wrong about her. Demi had taken Mr Michael’s words to heart, she didn’t need magic to do great things. She couldn’t perform magic like them, but she could beat them all in potions and history. No one could brew a healing potion or give a detailed account of their history from memory alone as she could. She just needed a chance to show everyone that they were wrong.   
“But dear, you’re already fit in,” Camille answered softly.  
Demi looked to Camille with a frown, “No, I don’t. It doesn’t help that other people are jealous that Scarlett blessed me and not them.” When people weren’t whispering how dangerous she was, they would say how Scarlet had wasted her blessing. It very rarely happened when Coven Leaders blessed people and others thought that Demi hadn’t been worth it.  
Camille said nothing, knowing there was nothing that could be said. Camille knew about the treatment and had tried to get people to understand, but they were stuck in their ways. Demi wasn’t classed as a normal Witch and was therefore different, and the Coven didn’t like it when people were different.  
“But, if I had a chance to prove I could do this, maybe it could help.” Demi continued as she looked down at the pond with longing in her eyes. All she wanted was acceptance into the Coven and not fear or jealousy. Demi knew that if she could ensure that the Treaty stayed in place then people would have to respect her.  
Camille stared at Demi for a moment before she nodded her head. “I understand. You can go,”  
Demi’s head snapped up and her eyes widened in shock and hope, “Really?” Her voice was low and breathless as if she couldn’t believe what was happening.  
“Yes,” Camille answered with a smile. She had never seen Demi so thrown off before and it was an amusing sight.  
“Thank you!” Demi threw herself at Camille, hugging her tightly.  
This time, Camille’s eyes widened. Usually, Demi wasn’t one for physical contact and she would move away from people who tried to hug her. Lily was the only person who Demi let touch her and it warmed her heart. Camille returned the hug before letting go when she felt Demi withdraw. “Come to my study and we will discuss everything,” Camille said as she stood up and walked back to her study in the cottage.  
Demi scrambled up, nearly falling into the pond with how excited she was. Demi ran back into the cottage, easily beating Camille.  
Camille watched this with a smile on her face.  
Minutes later, both Camille and Demi were sat in Camille’s study. The study was on the ground floor and was protected by many charms – ones that only Camille could unlock. This was so no one could sneak into the room and see the information they weren’t allowed to – mainly Lily as she was very nosy and curious. The study was a medium-sized room, with a large desk at the side, several bookcases filled with books and a fireplace with a large cauldron. This was where Camille would have her meetings if anyone came over and it also served as Demi’s classroom when Camille tutored her.  
Demi and Camille were sat on the two chairs available. “Before we begin, do you have any questions?” Camille asked, getting down to business.  
Demi nodded her head, “Yes, what happened exactly in Russia?” Rhonda had mentioned the bare basics of what happened but Demi wanted to know more. If she really was going to be the advocate for the Witches then she couldn’t turn up to Volterra not knowing exactly what happened as it would risk her looking stupid. If she looked stupid then it wouldn’t be good for the Coven.  
Camille frowned and her eyes darkened as she remembered what she read in the letter, “Nina was leading the weekly lessons with the other Coven members. They were outside when they were attacked. Nina reported that two figures appeared out of nowhere, attacking at such a fast pace it looked like a blur. However, one thing Nina reported that there was blood everywhere, but not a drop was drunk and the assailants had red eyes.”  
“Who was killed?” Demi asked. From that description, she knew that it was Vampires, there was no arguing this as Demi couldn’t think of anyone else with red eyes. However, Demi found it unusual that it was two people. If it was one, then Demi could assume it to be a rogue Vampire, but two seemed odd.  
“Only one was killed, but it was Adrian, our youngest Warlock,” Camille answered grimly.  
Demi inhaled sharply. Warlocks were hard to come by as there weren’t many of them. It seemed as if magic didn’t come naturally to them and so the Witch/Warlock ratio had always been unbalanced. To have one killed was terrible considering how rare they were. If it was the Vampires then two of the conditions had been broken because Warlocks were protected under the agreement. It didn’t help that Adrian was only nine years old, having only just started learning magic too. “How many injured?” Demi asked, feeling sick to her stomach.  
“Twelve,” Camille answered, a sigh in her tone, “Just as fast as they appeared, they disappeared. Nina was able to save a lot of lives, but those twelve people have lost a lot of blood and are in intensive care. We’re currently unsure if all of them will pull through.”  
Demi’s eyes widened at this number. Twelve members injured in one night and one dead. This didn’t sit right with Demi and there was a horrible feeling in her chest. “What do you think of this situation?” Demi asked carefully, mentally wondering what her thoughts were about the matter as a whole.  
Camille scowled, “Obviously that the Vampires have no regard for our Treaty.”  
Falling silent, Demi considered her words.  
“Okay, before you go to Volturi, how much do you know about them?” Camille asked suddenly, moving on from the attack. She needed to make sure that Demi’s knowledge about the Volturi was sound so she didn’t walk into the unknown as she knew Demi didn’t react well to it.  
Demi wet up lips as she thought back to the lessons about the Volturi, “The Volturi are the largest and most powerful Coven of Vampires. They enforce the laws of the Vampire world. The three leaders are Aro, Caius and Marcus. Aro possesses a gift where he can read your mind if he touches you and Marcus has the power to identify relationships. Caius does not have a gift, but he is very ambitious.” All Witches and Warlocks had to know about the Volturi – as Camille said, it was better to know the enemy. However, the Volturi had always interested Demi and she tried to find out as much information about them. There was something about them that always mystified her but she put it down to how old they were rumoured to be – and she was a very big fan about history.  
Camille nodded her head, satisfied with the answer. “Correct. They are the most powerful Vampires – status wise. However, one thing to note is that Caius hates Witches and Warlocks with a passion and he ended up starting the Salem Witch Trials.”  
Demi listened silently, but she was nodding along to this information. Witches had a very dark and bloody relationship with Caius. When Caius tried to kill all the Children of the Moon, Witches stepped in and protected the Wolves, hiding them and fought against the Vampires. As a result, Caius attempted to exterminate Witches and Warlocks and that’s what started the feud. Demi knew that when she went to the Volturi, she would need to be wary of Caius the most as he would be the one to break the Treaty out of the Three Kings.  
“Now, how many Volturi guards are there?” Camille questioned.  
“Nine,” Demi answered with ease. This was taught to every Witch and Warlock so they knew who to avoid. Some Volturi Guards needed to be treated with more caution so they taught them this to keep them safe.  
Camille nodded her head. “But there are also another two people to beware off more than anyone else, and they are Jane and Alec Volturi.” Camille shivered as she said those names, even thinking of the twins made her fearful. “Jane has the power of illusionary pain, she can bring down an opponent twice her size. She also enjoys the pain she brings people. But there is someone far worse than her.” Camille’s voice became quieter, her voice barely above a whisper.  
Demi leaned in, waiting for the answer.  
“Alec Volturi is worse than his sister. He has the power of sensory deprivation, just like his sister, he can take down someone bigger than him. However, his power can cover more people, whereas Jane’s power can only work on one person at a time. While his sister is more vicious, he is quieter, but not the nicer twin. He is more dangerous because he is quieter. Be wary of him.” Camille warned, her body tensed and her eyes shone with intensity. Alec and Jane Volturi were feared by near enough anyone and everyone. Anyone who had a brain cell was scared of the twins and Aro exploited that fear as much as he could.  
Demi shivered, feeling a chill run down her spine. It was common knowledge that Alec and Jane could easily take over the Volturi if they wished. Knowing their history, Demi knew that Alec and Jane had been used to kill plenty of Witches and Warlocks, enough to make a normal Witch tremble in fright. In the Coven, they are taught that if they see Alec and Jane, they are to run and if they can’t run then they give them whatever they wanted.  
Camille leaned back in her seat. “But I am not sending you in there defenceless. Yes, you have your fire, but you have to promise me you won’t use it.” Camille said as she looked at Demi was a leading expression.  
For a moment, Demi didn’t say anything. However, she nodded her head, “I promise, I won’t use my fire,” She understood why Camille wouldn’t want her using her fire because it may be seen as an attack. Fire was one of Vampire’s only weaknesses and since it bent to her will, it would be seen as an aggressive move.  
Sighing in relief, Camille reached over to Demi, Camille touched Demi’s right silver earring and tapped on it three times. She then did this again with the left earring. Camille muttered a spell under her breath and there was a flash of light and then it disappeared.  
Demi had closed her eyes and let Camille do her spell. She had no idea what Camille was doing, but she didn’t question it as she trusted that Camille knew what she was doing. Demi opened her eyes when the light was gone, “What was that?” Demi asked, her eyes widened in excitement. She always loved it when Camille used her magic as Demi thought it to be beautiful.  
“I have embedded my magic into your earrings. In your right earring, there is a shield that will protect you from the Volturi’s Guards powers, except Aro’s powers. The left one will send an alarm to me if your life is in danger.” Camille explained as she leaned away from Demi since her job was done. The only power Camille couldn’t block was Aro’s power – she had tried before but she had never been successful. Aro’s powers always managed to get past all the barriers would put in place and it annoyed her greatly. Camille assumed that it had something to do with the fact his power required physical contact. In the end, Camille abandoned this endeavour and realised it would be safer not to block his powers. Under the Treaty, the Volturi couldn’t use powers on a Witch for offensive purposes as that would violate the terms on the Treaty but Camille would rather be safe than sorry.   
Demi smiled, “Cool.” It reassured her to know she had some protection against the Volturi, the thought of going in defenceless didn’t sit right with her. Of course, she was never defenceless but she would rather not use her fire.   
Camille looked at the clock on the wall. “Now, head to bed. I have some other things I need to prepare for your trip,” Camille said as she stood up from her seat. There was much to be done and Camille knew that she didn’t have much time to prepare before the Volturi sent their invitation.  
Standing up, Demi walked over to the door but stopped when her hand touched the doorknob. “Thank you, Camille, for giving me a chance.” Demi smiled before walking out of the study, heading up to her room, feeling lighter than ever before.  
Camille watched Demi go, a heavy feeling in her heart.

TWILIGHT 

Three days had passed since then and the atmosphere in the cottage got worse with every passing day. Camille was constantly on edge as she waited for the Volturi to send their invitation but it never seemed to arrive. It also didn’t help that they had received word from the Coven in Russia. Four more Witches had died from their injuries, taking the total number of deaths up to five. Camille had locked herself in her study to the point Lily and Demi hadn’t seen her in a while. Lily had no idea what was going on, and she didn’t sense the tenseness of the air, all she knew that her mother was busy. Lily was used to her mother being busy as she was the Coven Leader so this didn’t bother her much. However, Demi felt the tension and it was suffocating. Demi had never seen Camille so frazzled and it unnerved her.   
Demi was making breakfast for Lily. Demi was watching as the eggs cooked and she could smell the bread cooking in the toaster. Demi found that she really enjoyed cooking because it reminded her of Potions class and she found she had a passion for cooking. There were two places Demi could be found when she was stressed, either in the garden or cooking. Once she was happy, Demi plated up the scrambled eggs and toast – cutting up the toast into little pieces for Lily and then gave it to her. “Eat up kiddo,” Demi said as she grabbed her plate and sat down at the dining room table. She had made a plate for Camille, but she didn’t feel confident that Camille would come out of her study for it.  
Lily looked at her breakfast and pouted. “But I wanted pancakes…” She whined lowly, looking disappointed.  
Demi laughed and shook her head, “You know the rules. Pancakes once a week, otherwise you’ll turn into a pancake.” Lily was absolutely obsessed with pancakes and wanted them for every meal. It was pancakes and chocolate milk and she would accept nothing else. Eventually, it was agreed that she would have them once a week, usually on a Friday, but today was Wednesday and this was the time she would get moody for pancakes.  
“No, I won’t!” Lily exclaimed. Nonetheless, Lily picked up her plastic fork and began eating the scrambled eggs and toast, pancakes were forgotten for now.  
Laughing slightly, Demi tucked into her own breakfast.  
However, the moment of peace was disrupted when Demi heard flapping at the nearby window. Looking up, Demi saw Terra, flying at the window, its dark eyes staring at Demi. Standing up, Demi opened the window and outstretched her arm, letting Terra land there. Not minding her talons, Demi saw a letter and grabbed it from Terra’s mouth. Once the letter was gone, Terra flew further into the house, going to sit on its perch in the living room. Demi looked down at the letter in her hand and immediately noticed how nice it looked. The paper envelope was expensive and smooth in her hand with a wax seal with a V symbol. Seeing the wax seal made Demi’s heart beat wildly in her chest. It was from the Volturi.  
It was time.  
“Who's it from?” Lily asked, her wide brown eyes staring at Demi in childish curiosity.   
“No one important,” Demi said as she snapped out of her daze. She didn’t want Lily to see how frazzled she was. Demi knew that she would be going to see the Volturi but she didn’t think it would happen this quickly. “Just leave your plate there when you’re done and go play, okay?” Demi said with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.  
Lily smiled back and nodded her head, going back to eating.  
Demi walked out of the kitchen and over to Camille’s study. Demi heard some noise, a lot of moving around and the jingle of glass bottles. Demi knocked on the door three times, “Camille, it’s arrived.” Demi said, looking down at the letter again.  
The room went deathly silent. Then, the floor flew open and Camille stepped out, looking more stressed-out than ever before. Camille’s hair was a complete mess, dark circles under her eyes and her clothes crumpled. Demi easily recognised Camille’s clothing, mentally wondering if Camille had even changed her clothes in the first place. There was also an overwhelming smell of stuffiness and heat coming from Camille’s study.  
“Let me see,” She demanded as she held out her hand.  
Demi handed over the letter and watched as Camille ripped open the letter and read it. Her dark eyes scanned the letter quicker than Demi had ever seen. When Camille was done, she lowered the letter and handed it to Demi without saying anything. Demi silently gulped and took the expensive paper in her hands once more, carefully reading it.  
Blackthorn Coven,   
We are aware of what has happened in Russia. We wish to discuss this matter in person and request that a representative be sent to Volterra.   
We will allow two days for you to prepare.   
Aro   
Demi read the letter a few times. “At least we have two days.” She said, her own heart hummed wildly and in her ears. Demi already knew that she was going to Volterra, but now it was in the paper – they had been summoned. She had officially been summoned.  
Camille walked back into the study and grabbed her phone. “Rhonda, it’s me. I need you to book a ticket to Volterra, Italy. We have been summoned. It needs to be in the next two days, no questions.” Camille spat over the phone, her form tensed and her fists clenched. Once done, Camille hung up and looked to Demi, “I suggest you start packing. Pack for one week and we’ll go from there.”  
Demi nodded her head. She had been warned that the usual time for negotiations took around one week as Aro liked to pad things out. Things that could take one or two days lasted seven days instead. “Camille, are you okay?” Demi asked, a frown on her face.  
Camille faked a smile. “I’m fine. Just a bit nervous,”  
The frown on Demi’s face deepened. She knew that Camille was lying but she chose not to push it any further as she didn’t think Camille could take it. “Okay, I am going to start packing,” Demi said, turning around to go to her room.

TWILIGHT 

A day passed and night had fallen. Camille and Demi were sat in her office, putting the final touches down before Demi was to go off and meet the Volturi tomorrow. Demi watched Camille carefully as she flitted around the room like a cautious bird, never staying in one section of her study long enough. Demi had never seen Camille so nervous but she could understand why Camille was acting so fretfully, it wasn’t every day that the Coven was summoned by the Volturi.  
For a moment, Camille’s flightiness slowed. “Tell me, what is your purpose for going to the Volturi?” Camille asked, not fully paying attention to Demi.  
“To find out their side of the story and come to an agreement of peace,” Demi answered with ease. Throughout the day, Camille had quizzed her – sometimes at the most random of times when Lily wasn’t in the room. Demi knew what Camille was doing and she did appreciate it, Camille was trying to make sure that Demi was ready so that she didn’t walk in clueless.  
“Correct,” Camille moved to the other side of the room, fiddling through a stack of books, “And what is it that we need to know?”  
Demi wet her lips for a moment, “To find out if the Volturi had anything to do about this attack, and how they will handle it,”  
Camille opened a book and looked through it, her scanning the pages quickly. “And the overall goal?”  
“To make sure that the agreement is intact,” Demi answered back. She knew that the most important thing was that the Treaty remained unbroken. Demi knew that she couldn’t lose the Treaty otherwise she would risk the Coven’s wrath. This was her one chance to prove she wasn’t as worthless as they all said she was.  
Camille nodded her head, appeased with her answers.  
“What if they wish to discuss the Treaty ahead of time?” Demi asked, curiously. She knew that it was another two years before the Treaty needed to be discussed, but Demi thought it would be likely that the Volturi would also wish to discuss the Treaty – kill two birds with one stone.  
Camille stilled, her eyes no longer scanning the pages.  
Demi nervously gulped, mentally regretting that she asked the question. But she knew she needed to be realistic and cover as many possibilities as imaginable. Demi didn’t like going anywhere unprepared, she always liked to know the scope she was working with beforehand.  
“If they bring it up, you have my permission to talk about the Treaty. If they do not mention it, you don’t mention it. I trust you know what is in the Treaty?” Camille questioned, her left brow arched at Demi expectantly.  
Demi nodded her head quickly, she did have extensive knowledge around the Treaty. When she was younger, she would sneak into the place it was kept just to have a look at it. The Coven had a copy of the Treaty – the Volturi had the original copy – and the Coven members had all read the copy. It also helped that Demi had an eidetic memory and could remember everything that she had read. They were all aware of what was in the Treaty and they abided by it. No one wanted to risk breaking the Treaty so any sensible Witch or Warlock knew what was in the Treaty.  
“Good. Now, what are the rules for a Witch attending the Volturi?” Camille asked, her eyes scanning the book in front of her once more.  
Demi answered this one with ease. “As a precaution, I am allowed to shake Aro’s hand once, but then I am allowed to ask for privacy. I am allowed to look Aro and Marcus in the eyes but not Caius. I must dress in accordance with how they dress, no exceptions. I wait for them to ask the questions and then I am allowed to ask questions. I am not allowed to mention personal information regarding the Coven and I cannot mention the Children of the Moon around Caius. I am also never allowed in the room with Caius on my own. Additionally, I am not allowed to be alone with the other Guards,”  
“And no showing off your fire,” Camille added with a pointed look.  
Demi nodded her head in agreement. Showing her power would be foolish and Caius would see it as a declaration of war. Demi knew that she would have to control her anger while there so that she didn’t have any accidents.  
Camille place the book down and looked at Demi. “While there, Aro will assign you a Guard, who will act as your guide. They usually pick Afton or Santiago. They are lower members within the Volturi and they seem to tolerate Witches. You can be alone with them, but no one else.”  
This Demi found reassuring.  
Looking at the single clock on the room, Camille sighed. “You need to sleep. These next few days are going to be hectic and I need you to be in tip-top shape. Now go to bed,” Camille said, putting down the books.  
“Thank you, Camille,” Demi said, standing up. Without another word, Demi left the room. At least now, she felt more prepared.


	4. Chapter 4

After many hours later on the aeroplane, Demi had finally arrived in Volterra. It was dark, having arrived in the middle of the night, around one in the morning. This had been the only flight Rhonda had been able to secure in such short notice but it suited Demi just fine. It was made even better because there were hardly any people around her so she didn’t have to put up with fighting for the armrest on the seat, or people stepping over her to get the toilet. It was quiet and calm. It was just what she needed before she had to deal with the Volturi. Demi wore a plain black dress that fell past her knee with a soft black cardigan and black ballerina pumps. It was far too smart and fancy to be worn on a plane ride, but she needed to be presentable when she met with the Volturi. Camille had suggested this outfit and Demi wasn’t about to shoot down Camille’s help. Camille had approved all of her outfits so Demi felt more comfortable knowing she didn’t bring the wrong outfits. 

As the plane descended to land in the airport, Demi felt the butterflies in her stomach. There was no way she could get out of this now and that excited her and made her nervous at the same time. She had never been outside of Maine before – let alone the country, but now she was in Italy. As Demi exited the plane, she wondered if Aro would let her go sightseeing. Demi quickly dismissed these thoughts because she couldn’t get distracted. She was there to do a job and do it well. Demi easily made it through customs and was waited for her luggage to appear on the carousel. As she looked out the window, Demi noticed that it was still dark out and she wondered which Vampire was going to pick her up at the airport.

As she waited for her luggage, she looked down at her hands. She wore a pair of short black gloves that Camille has gifted to her. Camille had said that they would repress her powers so her fire wouldn’t get out of control if she got angry or upset. Demi had been thankful but slightly annoyed because the gloves were just another repressor to add to the collection. Altogether, Demi wore five repressors: a necklace, two wrist bands, a ring and now the gloves. Demi thought it was a little excessive but they did conceal her power very well and Camille had practically begged her to not take the repressors off for any reason and Demi had agreed.

Demi snapped out of her thoughts when she saw her blue and white polka dot suitcase and she moved to go grab it. Once she had her luggage, Demi looked for the exit. She was thankful that there was English translation as well as the Italian. Her Italian wasn’t great – it was abysmal and now she regretted not trying to learn more. Languages were not taught in the Program and Camille hadn’t offered them when she began home-schooling her. Demi had independently tried to learn the language and made a mental note to improve on this. 

Once Demi was outside, she looked around for anyone waiting for her. Camille had replied back to the Volturi about attending and when they should expect for Demi to arrive. Demi looked around for a specific person. Vampires were quite noticeable and different from a regular person. Demi knew that she should have been nervous to meet a Vampire as they had hunted her kind and persecuted them to the point of exposure. However, she found she wasn’t nervous – even when she knew she should be. For many years, Demi had been told how monstrous, evil and detached Vampires were. However, Demi felt excited – also nervous – but more curious to see if the Volturi fit the portrayal the Coven gave them. They all had a reputation and Demi wondered if they would live up to it. Green eyes scanned the room as she looked for a Vampire. There was a sea of people, all of them glancing at her and then quickly looking away when they realised Demi wasn’t who they were waiting for. Demi looked around for something in particular and she soon found it.

A lone Vampire stood far away from everyone else. 

For a moment, Demi didn’t recognise the Vampire waiting for her, but after a few seconds of staring, Demi recognised who the Volturi had sent to fetch her – it was Heidi. A sign wasn’t needed because Demi would be able to recognise a Vampire from anywhere, especially when she had been trained to spot a Vampire for years. Camille had been pretty adamant about this lesson and had shown her many pictures of them over the years. She had never had to put this skill into practice and this made her slightly nervous that she could have been wrong.

Heidi was gorgeous and statuesque: long, lustrous mahogany hair and amazingly long legs. Demi couldn’t see Heidi’s eyes due to the large sunglasses, but she knew they would be a ruby red colour. Heidi was wearing a long black expensive coat and black high heels. It was dark, so she didn’t have to worry about her skin sparkling and giving herself away to humans. As Demi approached her, she knew she had to be careful. Heidi’s power was physical attraction, and she was how the Volturi got their ‘food’. All Witches and Warlocks have been warned about her so they didn’t accidentally get caught up in her net.

Heidi looked at Demi when she approached, “Hello little one. Are you lost?” Her smile was gorgeous, inviting Demi in. Her voice sounded soft and delicate – the exact opposite of what she was.  
Demi felt as though she could drop to her knees, Heidi was so beautiful. But she mentally shook her head. She refused to be brought in like everyone else, she would not make a fool of herself especially when she was acting as a representative of the Blackthorn Coven. “My name is Demi Blackthorn,” Demi said, her green eyes looking at Heidi’s dark sunglasses that hid her eyes.

Heidi arched a perfectly shaped brow but smiled once more. “Of course, follow me.” She turned around and walked towards the exit.

Demi followed after Heidi, trying her best to keep up with Heidi while also trying to relax her tensed shoulders. As they walked, Demi felt everyone looking in their direction, or in Heidi’s direction. Heidi was far too beautiful to be ignored and people had noticed this too. “Does it ever get annoying?” Demi asked, not able to help herself.

Turning her head, Heidi looked at her, “What do you mean?”

“Getting watched all the time?” Demi asked as she looked around at everyone gawking at Heidi. Even without her powers, Heidi was able to command so much attention it was almost nerve-wracking. It was a wonder how Vampires hadn’t already been discovered when it was so glaringly obvious that they weren’t like normal mortals.

Heidi giggled softly, causing a few people nearby to blush violently. Even Demi couldn’t deny it sounded heavenly. “No, it amuses me more than anything. I find that it comes in handy,” Heidi answered back, a smirk on her face.

Demi nodded her head in understanding. Heidi was known as the ‘Fisher’ of the group so Demi didn’t doubt that her gift came in handy for that. Demi knew that the Volturi didn’t hunt inside of Volterra, they had their prey brought in from outside of the area so not to arouse suspicion. Surprisingly, the safest place to be was in Volterra because of this rule, not that any of the locals were aware of this. Both Heidi and Demi stopped walking when they arrived at a black car, the latest Audi and it practically gleamed in the sun. The windows were also tinted to be dark – darker than was legally allowed. Demi’s eyes widened at the car in front of her, it was absolutely gorgeous and screamed money. Demi knew the Volturi was rich, but she didn’t fully understand how rich until she saw the car. 

“Who owns the car? It’s lovely.” Demi asked, looking to Heidi in wonder. 

Heidi smirked, “Its Demetri’s car. He let me borrow it for the day,” The smirk on her face grew wider as though she had said something funny.

“Why do I get the feeling he didn’t want to lend you this car?” Demi arched a brow, getting a feeling there was a story behind this. People she knew would never let people borrow their car, especially not one as nice as this. However, her kind didn’t like to show off, but it seems that Vampires didn’t have an issue with it.

The smirk on Heidi’s face was also a big give away that this car wasn’t willingly lent. “That’s because you would be correct.” Heidi laughed.

Saying nothing, Demi wheeled her suitcase to the boot of the car and placed her suitcase inside. She was being very careful to not scratch the car in any way. She didn’t want to accidentally scratch it and then incur the wrath of Demetri. Demi then made her way to the back of the car and got in, closing the door behind her. Demi was in awe of the inside of the car, leather seats that appeared brand new and velvet on the walls of the car. Demi glanced forward and noticed that Heidi was already in the front seat and had started the car.

“Where to, miss?” Heidi joked, looking very comfortable in the car.

“Do you think Aro would be angry if we took a detour and go sightseeing?” Demi asked, a wry smirk on her face, adrenaline in her veins. She had only set a few hundred feet in Italy but she wanted to explore and see more. History was a subject that intrigued her more than anything, and Italy had always been on her list to visit in the future. Demi hoped that the meeting would be concluded quickly so she could go sightseeing.

Heidi adjusted the mirror so she could look at Demi and she considered her for a moment. “Aro wouldn’t mind, its Caius that wouldn’t be happy,”

Demi nodded her head, slightly disappointed in the answer even though she had expected it. “Volturi Castle it is then,” Demi looked at out the windows with longing, wanting to explore and see the rich history that was in Italy. 

Heidi smiled and started the car. “Just to warn you, I drive fast.” She said, putting the car into gear before flooring it out of the airport.

And drive fast, Heidi did.

TWILIGHT 

It didn’t take more than ten minutes before Heidi and Demi arrived at the Volturi castle. As they approached, Demi got a good look at the castle. The castle reminded Demi of the ones she would hear about in the stories of a Princess being trapped inside. It was tall, menacing and enticing all at the same time. It looked old but healthily maintained. Heidi drove down a tunnel, taking them underneath the castle and Demi found a large parking space, with all the latest cars lined up near one another.  
Heidi parked with ease and turned off the engine. “Not too bad,” She said, sounding happy. Now that she was in the safety of the castle, she removed the large sunglasses from her face.

“Well, you certainly weren’t lying,” Demi mumbled under her breath, forgetting about Vampire’s hearing. Heidi had been fast – very fast. For a moment, Demi had thought they were going to crash. Demi inhaled deeply as she tried to calm her fast beating heart, she had not been that scared in a long time. She knew that Vampires had extremely fast reflexes but that didn’t stop her from nearly screaming when she thought they were going to crash. 

Heidi turned her head and smirked, “Oh you have no idea,”

Saying nothing, Demi unbuckled her seat and stepped out the car. When she closed the door, she found that Heidi was already out of the car, with her suitcase in hand. For a moment, Demi stared at her blue polka dot suitcase, wondering when Heidi had managed to do this without her noticing, but Demi soon came to her senses. “Thanks,” Demi managed a smile, still getting used to the incredible speed that Vampires possessed. She was still trying to get used to being around Vampires in general, but Heidi was making it easier by talking to her. There were a few times that Demi forgot that Heidi was a Vampire because of how normal she seemed and that made her feel comfortable. However, Demi did have to mentally remind herself what Heidi was.

Heidi smirked, “You get used to it,”

When Demi took her suitcase from Heidi, Demi felt a rush of wind and sensed another presence near her. Demi turned her head and noticed a man stood near Heidi, a sneer on his face. The man had an olive complexion with a chalky pallor and black hair that reached his shoulders with burgundy eyes. He was lean and stood at over six feet tall. Demi instantly recognised him as Demetri. He was known as the tracker within the Volturi and was the best tracker around. Just by eyeing at him, Demi knew that if she were to run, he would catch her in an instant. Her Coven had taught her to be wary of Demetri as he had killed many of her kind and had tracked them for the other members of the Volturi to kill.

“You took my car,” Demetri stated, his voice low and almost sounded like a hiss. His gaze was solely focused on Heidi – and he did not look happy.

Demi looked at Heidi, surprised. She had said that Demetri hadn’t wanted to lend her the car, not that he didn’t let her. Demi tensed and her heart fluttered wildly in her chest cavity. Demetri was dangerous and it made her nervous being around him when it looked like he wanted to harm Heidi.

Heidi smirked, not fazed by his anger in the slightest as she seemed to relish in it. “You said I could borrow one of your cars. You didn’t say which one of yours I could borrow,”

Demetri’s eye twitched as he realised his own mistake.

Demi glanced around, “How many cars do you own?” She asked, surprised with how many there were. There had to be over fifty cars in the parking space, and it made her head spin with all the expensive brands that stuck out.

Demetri looked to Demi, his eyes narrowed. “Is this the Witch?” He asked as he turned to Heidi for answers.

Demi pursed her lip together, holding back a retort. She didn’t like his tone, but she couldn’t say anything. She was here to help mend the issue, not create more. Mentally, Demi envisioned herself throwing a fireball at him, and this made her calm slightly. Demi felt the palms of her hands heat up slightly but it never made it past the gloves, all five repressors activating themselves. 

“Yes, she is. Her name is Demi,” Heidi said pleasantly before she turned to Demi, “This way. Aro will want to see you,” As she said this, Heidi spun around and walked to the exit. Demetri looked at Demi once more before he followed after Heidi.  
Seeing her cue to follow, Demi followed the Vampires to the exit with her suitcase in hand. 

Heidi, Demetri and Demi walked through the castle and Demi hung back. Demetri and Heidi talked with one another, far too fast for Demi to understand so she didn’t try and listen. Occasionally, Demetri looked back and sent her curious glances but Demi missed most of them. Demi took this chance to look around the castle, amazed by what she saw. The décor was old but tasteful. There were torches along the walls, lighting the dark halls of the castle and there were portraits everywhere – portraits of the various members of the Volturi. There was a smell, one that Demi couldn’t pinpoint but it reminded her of the history books that she used to read for her classes. As they walked through the castle, Heidi, Demetri and Demi passed by the front desk, and that’s when Demi noticed a woman. Demi could immediately tell that this woman was human because she wasn’t as nearly as beautiful as the Vampires. The woman looked young, long black hair and an olive skin-tone. The woman looked up and smirked when she saw Demi as if she knew something Demi didn’t. Demi ignored the woman, but instantly didn’t like her and continued to walk through the castle, following after Demetri and Heidi.

Demi stopped walking when they reached large double doors. Heidi looked to Demi, “Wait here while I inform them of your arrival,” She said before she disappeared behind the door.

That left Demi and Demetri alone.

It was awkward, being left with him. Demi sensed her nerves creeping but and felt the need to fill it with talking. “You never did answer my question?” She asked, her voice low. She knew she didn’t need to speak any louder, he would hear her.  
Demetri turned to her, his eyebrow arched in her direction.

Demi flushed under his gaze in embarrassment, regretting even asking the question in the first place.

Sensing this, Demetri seemed to take pity on her, “I own eight of them,” He answered, his face void of emotion.

“Damn,” Demi muttered, shocked by the answer. It didn’t seem right that one guy owned eight cars, but then she remembered that he had probably been around a long time – not that she knew exactly how long he had been a Vampire for.

A smirk crept onto Demetri’s face, her reaction amusing him. “That’s nothing. Felix has more cars than I,”

“What? Nine?” Demi snorted, not able to help herself.

Demetri chuckled lowly and was about to answer her when the doors opened. Demetri stood to attention, his face once again void of any emotion. Seeing this, Demi also stood to attention and watched as Heidi walked out.

“They will see you now,” Heidi said, motioning for Demi to come forward. “Leave your luggage, Demetri will take it to your room,” She said, gesturing to Demetri as she said the last part, silently commanding him.

Demetri nodded his head in agreement, moving over to gently take the suitcase out of Demi’s hands.

Demi watched as Demetri disappeared with her luggage. Usually, she would be worried that she wouldn’t see the case again, but she knew they wouldn’t do anything to it. They had invited her and she was protected under the Treaty. Steeling her nerve, Demi walked forward holding her head up high, mentally giving herself a pep talk. Demi passed Heidi and sent her a thankful smile before entered the throne room.

This room matched the rest of the castle. It was grand, old and intimidating. The glow from the torches cast a shadow around the room and didn’t provide that much visibility, but it was enough for Demi to make her way without tripping over anything. The room was shaped in a circle, with steps leading down. Demi was sure that she saw a drain in the corner of the room but chose to ignore it. A few feet away, more steps led up to three grand thrones. In each throne sat a leader of the Volturi: Aro in front, Caius to the right and Marcus on the left.

Demi stopped walking when she was a few feet away from Aro, Caius and Marcus. Now, she waited to be greeted.

Aro looked at her with a pleasant smile. “Ah, you have arrived. I trust your flight went smoothly,” He was very handsome and appeared to be in his late twenties. He was tall, and his skin almost looked translucent, like an onion skin. He had long black hair that looked like silk and his eyes were a milky red. He was wearing an expensive black suit and a red shirt with the Volturi sigma on the front blazer pocket.

Demi nodded her head, “It was, thank you for asking,” She said politely, trying to make sure he didn’t know how thrown she was. He was everything that Demi wasn’t expecting, she had been expecting an older man to be sat on the throne, not what she saw in front of her.

Caius looked to her and sneered, “Are they trying to insult us? She is a child.” Caius, like Aro, had translucent skin and was only slightly shorter than Aro. His eyes were a dark red, though slightly milky and unsettling. His snow-white hair was shoulder length and was very close to the colour of his skin. Caius looked much older than Aro, Demi would have to guess around mid-forties. Caius was wearing a long black cloak and black gloves.

“I assure you, that it is not my intention to insult you,” Demi said calmly, hoping that Caius wouldn’t take this any further. The Volturi could not know about the Blackthorn’s situation otherwise it would risk Caius trying to wipe the Coven out. Caius had been everything Demi had been expecting because they were taught in classes to be wary of him. Caius held the title for killing the most Witches and Demi did not wish to join that impossibly long list.

Aro nodded his head in agreement, “There is no insult brother. They are all children compared to us.” He answered, the smile still in place. The smile was beautiful, but also deadly.

Caius huffed in his seat but said nothing more on the matter.

Demi’s green eyes strayed over to the only Vampire who hadn’t said a word. The last one was Marcus. He stood the tallest out of the Three Kings and was also the youngest, around nineteen years old. His skin was pale, resembling translucent paper and he had black shoulder-length hair. Just like the others, his red Vampire eyes had an overlying milk film. He wore a long black cloak and gloves. There was a miserable and blank expression on his face, and it unnerved Demi how still he was. He reminded her of a doll, a porcelain doll whose eyes followed people around the room.

Aro stepped down from the throne, his hair practically floating as he walked. He stopped when he was near Demi and her heart was pumping in her throat with how nervous she was. “May I?” Aro inquired, looking down at Demi’s hand, seeking permission.

“You may,” Demi said, hiding her nerves – trying to at least. She had no doubt that they could hear her heart beating ten to the dozen with how anxious she was. Looking down at her hand, Demi slowly removed her right glove because there were no pieces of jewellery that she needed to remove. Demi silently prayed that her powers would stay intact just for a few moments. It was just one glove but that one glove could make the world of difference and she felt exposed. 

Aro gently took Demi’s hand in his and she waited. She knew his powers, knew that he could see inside her mind with a simple touch of the hand. No one could hide anything from Aro with his power. Demi had been expecting to feel something – like someone digging into her mind. She had been dreading it, wondering if it would be painful or uncomfortable. But Demi felt nothing. The only thing she felt was the coolness of his hands – they were so cold that goosebumps appeared on her arms.

He made a sound of delight, “Extraordinary,” Aro said, his eyes lit up and the smile on his face became impossibly wide.

This only served to unsettle Demi more than she already was.

Caius frowned, “What is it, brother?” He stood from his throne, interested to know what had made his brother so delighted.

Marcus looked at Aro, a stoic but curious expression on his face.

Aro let go of Demi’s hand and turned to face his brothers, “I cannot read her mind.” He said as he laughed slightly.

Demi looked down to her hand and her eyes widened. For a moment, she didn’t process his words because she couldn’t believe it. The talisman that Camille had gifted her only blocked out the Volturi Guard’s powers – it wasn’t meant to block out Aro’s gift. Demi was started to think that it was a mistake that she came here.

“Explain, Witch.” Caius sneered, his blazed with anger as he stared at her.

“I didn’t know that he wouldn’t be able to read my mind!” Demi argued back, just as shocked as they all were.

Caius snarled, his eyes darkening.

Demi’s heart nearly exploded in her chest. That was it, she was going to die. She had been told not to talk back to Caius and she had just broken that rule.

Aro turned to face Caius, his face like thunder. “Enough Caius! She is just as shocked as we are.” His tone was like steel – daring Caius to challenge him on this.

Caius fell silent, but he continued to glare at Demi as if this was all her fault.

“Now,” Aro said, his voice like silk, “It has been a long day, we can revisit this in the morning. Heidi,” Aro clapped his sounds and the doors to the throne room opened.

Heidi walked in, her heels echoed through the room. “Yes, Master?” She asked as she looked to Aro with a pleasant smile.

Aro motioned to Demi, “Take this young lady to her room. It has been a long day for her,”

Heidi nodded her head, “Of course. Follow me,” She said to Demi before she left the room.

Demi spared Aro and Marcus once the last glance – avoiding Caius – before quickly she followed after Heidi.

TWILIGHT 

Demi walked the corridors behind Heidi, her heart beating ten to a dozen. Demi was sure that Heidi could hear her heartbeat but at that moment, she didn’t care. She was trying to get her heart to calm down and not make it too obvious how it if affected her that she had just met the leaders of the Volturi and she had spoken against Caius. Demi was sure that if Camille had been there, she would have a heart attack. Demi’s thoughts were completely frazzled – Aro hadn’t been able to read her thoughts. Demi had never heard of this happening before in the Coven as Aro was able to access everyone’s mind except hers. That was one of the reasons why people in her Coven disliked Aro so much.

As if sensing her inner turmoil, Heidi spoke. “You weren’t what I was expecting,” She continued to walk, her stiletto heels echoed in the stone walls.

“How so?” Demi asked quietly. Silently grateful that Heidi had been on the one to speak first because she was sure she couldn’t even form a legible thought at this point.

Heidi hummed to herself, the sound pleasant, “Well, we’ve certainly never had one so young come to us,” Heidi looked at Demi and noted her round face, big eyes and small stature. It was reminiscent of a child that had yet to grow into their body. Usually, all the Witches that attended were older – yet nowhere near Heidi’s age.

Demi’s face flushed in embarrassment and irritation. “I’m seventeen,” She mumbled lowly. This was a constant in her life where people assumed she was much younger than she actually was. It was even worse when random people in the street would ask where her parents were when she went out in public for groceries.

Heidi smiled to herself, “Regardless of that, I sense that things are about to become more interesting.”

“Huh?” Demi said as she looked to Heidi in confusion.

Heidi stopped walking when they made it to a door, “This is you. Your assigned Guard will meet you here to bring you to the meeting,”

Demi stopped walking and noticed how they had arrived. For a moment, she didn’t understand how she had got there, she had been so engrossed in her thoughts and the conversation. Demi blinked slowly as she watched Heidi walk away, “You never told me what you meant,”

Turning around, Heidi smirked widely, “Don’t feel like it.” With that, she turned back around and walked down the hallway.

Demi’s eye twitched at this. She hated being left in the dark about things, she was too inquisitive to let anything go. She was determined to find out what Heidi had been referring to.


	5. Chapter 5

Demi sat in her room as she waited to be collected by her assigned Guard. She’d had a fitful sleep that night, not able to get comfortable because her nerves were shot. She had tossed and turned most of the night, far too apprehensive to fall asleep. Heidi’s words from last night echoed in her mind as she had tried her hardest to figure out what Heidi had meant but to no avail. It didn’t help that she was scared of screwing everything up and petrified that she could lose the Blackthorn Coven their Treaty with the Vampires. Demi knew that she should have contacted Camille by now to inform her of everything that had transpired and Demi had wanted to, but she couldn’t bring herself to do so. If she told Camille what had happened, she would have ordered her to come home with disappointment in her eyes. The thought of those eyes made Demi shiver and she mentally shook her head. Demi wouldn’t contact Camille unless it was necessary. She would need to improvise and think quickly. She had her orders and she intended to see them through until the end.  
As she looked around the room, Demi noted how luxurious everything was. She had a large room with a king-sized canopy sized bed, silk sheets and the comfiest mattress and pillows Demi ever had the pleasure of sleeping on. If she wasn’t so high strung she may have had a good night sleep. There were soft red rugs on the floors that decorated the stone floor. The hangings on the walls echoed the Volturi’s wealth – paintings from famous artists that she was sure belonged in a gallery. There was a desk and a large dark oak dresser and wardrobe set. There was no heating in the castle, not that it bothered Demi as she was never cold, but there was a huge fireplace on the wall adjacent to the bed she had yet to use. After Heidi had escorted her to this room, Demi had unpacked her stuff and placed everything away neatly. Fortunately, Demetri had delivered her suitcase and it had been stood next to her bed when she had arrived. Next to the wardrobe was a large full-length mirror that seemed to be lined with gold. Connected to her room was an ensuite that held both a shower and a bath and she felt rather spoiled.  
Demi looked at herself in the mirror and almost winced at what she saw. The dark circles were prominent under her eyes and her skin paler than she what she would have liked. Demi quickly remedied this as she used a light layer of foundation and concealer. To add to the guise, she used some mascara and pink lip-gloss. Demi examined her outfit, she wore a black pencil skirt, a white long-sleeved blouse tucked into the skirt with black flats. She grimaced because she looked like a child trying to dress up in adult clothing. Her hair was loose and fell to her shoulders but she had a hair tie on her wrist if she became tired with it. Her gloves were on and so was all the other repressor that she wore. The black gloves looked odd with the outfit but Demi couldn’t be without the gloves so she ignored this. She was covered up for warm weather, and if she was normal she would have started to sweat. However, she wasn’t normal, and one of the bonuses about her powers was that she didn’t feel the heat or cold because her temperature ran at a higher rate than others.  
Just then, there was a knock on the door and it made Demi swallow thickly. She smoothed down her skirt and gave herself another glance to make sure everything was perfect. She took a deep breath and hoped whoever was on the other side wouldn’t hear her frantically beating heart. Demi walked over to the door and opened it, noting the Vampire on the other side. It was Santiago, one of the lower Guard members. He was a tall man that easily towered over Demi by over a foot, his build was large, stocky and intimidating but the kind smile on his face remedied that. Santiago had dark skin, black hair and red eyes. He wore an expensive grey velvet suit with a red tie that complemented his red eyes.   
“Good morning, my name is Santiago, I am your assigned Guard,” Santiago greeted with a kind smile that showed off his pearly white teeth.   
Demi smiled back nervously, “Nice to meet you, my name is Demi,” She offered her gloved hand without a second thought. She hadn’t even realised what she had done until Santiago took her hand and shook it. Even with her gloves, Demi could feel the chill of his cold skin.   
Santiago motioned his arm, “Shall we begin?”   
Demi nodded her head and stepped out of her room before she closed the door behind her. She and Santiago walked down the hallway in relative silence. Demi couldn’t help but feel awkward around him because she didn’t know much about him. Santiago wasn’t a Vampire that was mentioned too much in her Coven because of how low down he was in the ranking system within the Volturi.   
“So… where are we heading?” Demi asked awkwardly. She didn’t know how she was supposed to act around a Vampire having never really been in the presence of one until she came to the Volturi. Heidi was different because she felt comfortable in her presence – but Demi assumed it was probably because she was a girl.   
“The kitchen. I imagine you may be hungry,” Santiago said, his tone light and well-mannered.   
Demi nodded her head, she was incredibly hungry. She had eaten a light meal on the plane because she was too nervous to eat anything heavy and she feared she would vomit. To prove a point of how hungry she was, Demi’s stomach grumbled loudly and sounded like a dying whale. Demi flushed a deep red in embarrassment because she knew Santiago had heard it. Vampire senses were exceptional and at that moment, Demi cursed it.   
Santiago chuckled lowly and this only served to embarrass Demi even more, “Let’s get you to the kitchen,” He said as they continued to walk through the castle. He walked with confidence and freedom, something Demi noted and admired.   
Demi followed after him and she naturally fell behind. Her short legs struggled to keep up with Santiago with his long legs at first and she had been tempted to jog slightly to catch up. However, she didn’t need to as Santiago appeared to have noticed her dilemma and slowed down so now he walked side by side with her. Demi mentally sighed in relief when she didn’t have to try and catch up with him. It didn’t take long for Santiago and Demi to make it to the kitchen. It was a medium-sized room that was lavishly decorated. There were black marble sides and all the black shiny cupboards were integrated into the walls. On the side opposite Demi, there was a huge fridge and Demi thought it to be odd. Demi was confident in her knowledge in Vampire’s diet and she was sure that they couldn’t consume human food – it was akin to Demi eating dirt – so it confused her to why they would need such a fancy kitchen.   
“You are welcome to the kitchen at all times. Everything you need should be here if not someone can always go and fetch them for you,” Santiago explained as he moved forward towards the cupboards. He opened them as if to prove his point and Demi took notice to the fully stocked cupboards.   
Knowing there were no restrictions around the kitchen pleased Demi. At least now, she didn’t have to wait for someone to collect her because it felt awkward. Demi had a feeling she would be coming down to the kitchen to stress bake. Since there didn’t appear to be a garden, she would undoubtedly spend more time in the kitchen. “Thank you. How long do I have?” Demi asked as she looked at Santiago. She was pondering how much time she had before the meeting with the Three Kings. If she had enough time, she could cook up a larger breakfast because she was absolutely famished. But if she didn’t have enough time, she would have a smaller breakfast and then a larger lunch. The thought of food started to make her salivate and she had to stop herself before Santiago noticed.   
Santiago looked down at his Rolex watch, “You have forty-one minutes before the meeting begins,”   
Demi nodded her head, satisfied that she could have a decent-sized breakfast. She immediately set off and started to cook. Demi looked in the cupboards for the pans she needed to cook for her breakfast. Demi peaked inside the bridge and was happy to see bacon and eggs and made sure to grab them. She grabbed a few slices of bread and intended to make some eggy bread to go alongside her bacon and scrambled eggs. As she cooked, Demi felt herself relax as she settled into her usual routine of cooking. She may have been in new territory but she felt at ease with her doing something she loved and enjoyed. Demi was so far in her own world that she didn’t realise she was humming to herself.   
Santiago watched her carefully, finding her actions fascinating. “You seem to enjoy cooking,” He said after a few moments of observation.   
This snapped Demi out of a daze and she flushed in embarrassment. She had completely forgotten that someone was watching her. “I do, I find it relaxing. It’s just like making a potion,” There was a certain rhythm she liked about cooking that she adored.   
In response, Santiago hummed lowly. He was about to comment but he stopped and he glanced in the direction of the door. The door opened not even a second later and Jane stepped in. The moment Demi saw her, her heart rate sped up in fear and she nearly dropped what she was holding. Jane was beautiful but in a porcelain doll fashion. She was small – even smaller than Demi which was an accomplishment – and her frame was tiny. She had pale brown hair trimmed semi-short and pale skin to match it. Her red eyes stood out against her extremely pale skin and they made Demi want to hide. Jane wore a beautifully tailored black velvet dress and high heeled shoes that gave her some extra height, but not much.   
As if sensing her fear, Jane smirked, “So, this is the little Witch,” Her eyes taunted Demi, as if she had just found a new plaything.   
Demi felt like her heart was in her throat. In front of her was one of the most feared Vampires within the Volturi – and the world. Demi understood why everyone feared Jane because she was bloody terrifying. Just being in her presence made Demi want to run and hide away but she found her legs wouldn’t move. Jane may have been tiny and appeared angelic, but Demi was sure she could rip out anyone’s throat with a blink of an eye.   
“Her name is Demi,” Santiago intervened, his shoulders tensed slightly.   
Jane sent him a scathing glare that made Santiago flinch as if he was waiting for the pain to start. “Her name holds no importance. Just as long as she stays out of my way, we won’t have an issue,” She sent a sarcastic smile in Demi’s direction.   
“You sought me out though?” Demi questioned, feeling confused. Demi’s eyes widened when she realised what she said. Mentally, she berated herself, why couldn’t she control herself around the deadlier Vampires.   
Jane’s head snapped to face her and she glared harshly. It appeared as though she wanted to do something and Demi didn’t know what it was. Santiago whispered something under his breath, but it was too fast and low for Demi to even catch. Jane’s face scrunched up in anger before she stormed out of the room. The door screeched in protest as it came off its hinges.   
Looking to Santiago, Demi opened her mouth to speak, but he held up his hand and this stopped her. Santiago shook his head and placed his finger over his mouth, indicating for her not to speak. Demi waited a few moments before Santiago nodded his head, “It’s okay to speak now.” He had waited until Jane was out of hearing distance – on the other side of the castle.   
“What did you say to her?” Demi asked out of curiosity. All the rumours she had heard about Jane were not pleasant and none of them had ever mentioned that she walked away from anything. If anyone said anything she didn’t like, she would let them know by making them feel the worse pain of their lives.   
“I reminded her of the Treaty,” Santiago replied before he turned to face her with a frown, “You shouldn’t have said that. Now she’s taken a disliking to you,” It didn’t take much for Jane to dislike someone and it was even easier if that said person was a Witch.   
Demi blushed at the light scolding. She knew what she had done was wrong and she shouldn’t have said anything, but she couldn’t help herself. “I know and I’m sorry. Sometimes my mouth runs quicker than my brain,” This was something she always did – and always at the wrong times too. Camille would always scold her for it and Demi would always promise to hold it back, but it never worked.   
Santiago smiled slightly and waved dismissively, “It is okay. It just means I need to keep a closer eye on you,”  
This made Demi feel better, at least she hadn’t caused too much damage. “Is there anyone else I should watch out for?”   
Santiago’s mouth twisted in thought. “I know you’ve already met Heidi and Demetri. They’re nice enough and so is Felix. You know to stay away from Jane, and another person to avoid is Alec.” From experience, he knew that most of the Guards were pleasant, but Alec and Jane were different.   
Demi shivered at his words. She could practically hear the words Camille had said to her about the twins. They were dangerous and should be avoided at all cost. After meeting Jane, Demi couldn’t help but agree with both Santiago and Camille. Jane had been scary and made all her hairs stand on end. Jane was dangerous, powerful and easily triggered – not the greatest combination. “You…seemed weary,” Demi said, thinking back to when Jane arrived.   
“You never know with Jane. She’s…temperamental,” Santiago winced slightly, not knowing how to else to phrase it. All the other Guards were weary of the twins, especially of Jane. They respected them because of how powerful they were, but Jane relished in their fear.   
“What are the chances of me meeting him?” Demi asked, feeling uncomfortable. If Alec was anything like Jane, then Demi was certainly not going to have a good time. She had already got on Jane’s bad side, and that’s how Witches ended up on Aro’s bad side. If Demi gained Alec’s disfavour then she was screwed. Aro took the opinion of Jane and Alec very seriously.   
Santiago chuckled slightly, “You’re safe for the moment. He’s out on a mission and won’t be back for another couple of days.”  
Demi inwardly sighed in relief. There was a chance she could have left by the time Alex returned and that made her relax. Feeling better, Demi returned to her breakfast as she knew she didn’t have long before the meeting and she wanted to be well fed. The last thing she needed was her stomach making dying whale sounds during a meeting with the Three Kings. 

TWILIGHT 

Santiago escorted her to the meeting room after Demi had finished her breakfast. Meeting Jane hadn’t left Demi with a lot of time to eat her breakfast so she quickly scoffed it down, not willing to waste good food. Luckily, the meeting room wasn’t too far away from the kitchen so the journey was relatively short. When Demi and Santiago arrived, the Three Kings were not present as of yet and that made Demi relax. At least she wasn’t the last one to arrive and she could settle her nerves before the meeting began. The room was medium-sized and looked relatively plain compared to the other parts of the castle. There was a huge fireplace that was unlit, a large solid oak table in the middle of the room with multiple chairs with a single-window to provide light. Three noticeable chairs resembled thrones that clearly belonged to Aro, Caius and Marcus. Demi made a mental note to avoid those chair and looked for a suitable seat.   
“Is there an assigned seat or do I pick at random?” Demi asked, clearly nervous. She didn’t know where to sit. She didn’t want to sit too far away from in case it would look like she didn’t want to be near them. But she also didn’t want to sit too close in case they took that as getting too close.   
This amused Santiago, “There are no assigned seats. You may choose any other than those three chairs. But I would suggest sitting away from Caius,” He lowered his voice at this as if he was sharing a secret. He motioned to the throne on the right where Caius would usually sit when in the meeting room. Caius never liked it when Witches got too close to him.   
Demi nodded her head and took his advice. She sat down in a chair two chairs away from Marcus. Out of the Three Kings, she found him the least intimidating but she was aware that opinion could change in a moment’s notice.   
“Good choice,” Santiago said, pleased that his advice was taken to heart. He had been used to Witches ignoring his advice so this was a nice change. Many Witches had made the mistake of sitting too close to Caius and they always regretted it. Others had sat on the opposite end of the table to which Aro found rude.   
The second door to the room opened and in walked Aro, followed by Caius and then Marcus. They were all dressed in similar clothes to the day before – black expensive material with their Volturi crest visible. When Aro spotted Demi, he smiled widely, “Ah, Demi. How are we today?” He asked, seemingly fully interested in her and it made her slightly uneasy.   
Demi smiled, “I am well, and yourself?” She spared a quick glance at Marcus and Caius to assess their moods. Marcus looked as he did the day before; bored and stoic. However, it was Caius that scowled darkly, as if being in her presence was a nuisance.   
“Marvelous!” Aro made a noise of delight before he held out his hand. “May I?” He asked, looking at her hand eagerly.   
For a moment, Demi was tempted to deny him and ask for privacy. Camille had said she could do this, but the protocol of what to do in the event Aro couldn’t read her mind wasn’t known. Thinking it to be a fluke, Demi took off her glove and allowed Aro to take her hand with no complaint. Just like before, Demi waited for something to happen – anything. But nothing happened.   
Aro hummed deeply, “Interesting. I still can’t read your mind,” He stared at Demi with intrigue in his red eyes. His brow furrowed together as he tried to read her mind, but he couldn’t hear or see anything and it fascinated him deeply. No Witch had been able to block him from their mind. What was even stranger was that Demi didn’t seem to be aware of this.   
“What can you see?” Demi asked curiously. She’d never had her mind read before – and no one had ever attempted before. There were spells in her Coven that could be done to read people’s minds, but they never lasted long.   
“Absolutely nothing,” Aro answered. He removed his hand from Demi’s and looked to his brothers, “Shall we begin with the meeting?”   
Marcus and Caius said nothing as they took their seats elegantly, with Aro quickly following behind. They sat in the same formation as the day before, with Aro in the middle with Caius and Marcus on either side of them. Demi put her glove back on and returned to her seat, trying to replicate their gracefulness but failed miserably.   
Caius squinted at Santiago and glowered, “Leave, now.”  
Santiago nodded his head and spared one last glance at Demi before he disappeared from the room. Demi hadn’t seen him leave, she blinked and then he was gone. It made her feel slightly nervous to be left alone with the Three Kings and she was sad to see Santiago go. She found herself warming up to him.   
Once they were alone, Aro put both hands together. “Now, before we begin, I am curious to know more about you. Would you please tell us about yourself?” He asked, seemingly interested to know more about her.   
Demi assumed this was because he hadn’t been able to read her mind and decided to go along with it. “My name is Demi. I like gardening and cooking. My specialties are potions and history,” In her mind, these things were safe to talk about – she just couldn’t mention anything about the Coven but there were no rules about her. They just couldn’t find out about her lack of magic – or her fire.   
“How old are you?” Caius demanded rather than questioned.   
She could feel his harsh glare on her neck and it unsettled her. Demi inhaled slightly before she answered, looking in the empty space between Aro and Caius so that she didn’t look direct at him, but still in his direction. “I am seventeen years old, sir.”  
“A mere child is here to negotiate,” Caius sneered.   
Demi nearly let out a whimper she was that scared. She feared he would attack her and she had to remind herself of the treaty – that agreement would keep her safe. She could tell that Caius wasn’t going to let this issue go and it worried her that he wasn’t going to take her seriously.   
Aro hummed in agreement, “My brother is right. You are younger than our usual advocates of the Blackthorn Coven,” Though he had defended her the day before, he understood where Caius was coming from, although he would have worded it better.   
Saying nothing, Marcus watched this all unfold.   
“I asked to be here,” Demi admitted sheepishly, “I volunteered to come when Camille brought up the matter,” Demi knew that it needed to be believable and they would be able to tell if she was lying from her heartbeat. Instead, she gave a true answer without giving away her Coven’s vulnerable position.   
Aro’s eyes lit up at this piece of information. He laughed, a wide smile on his porcelain face, “Astonishing! We’ve never had a Witch volunteer before.” He looked to his brothers for confirmation to make sure his memory wasn’t wrong. When his brothers didn’t object, he looked back to the Witch.   
Feeling uncomfortable under Aro’s gaze, Demi avoided his eyes and looked at the antique table. It was an expensive table, made from the finest wood – so much so that Demi was afraid to touch it. She wasn’t used to be around so much expensive things and it uneased her. It had always been drilled into her that she needed to be careful with her money.   
“What makes you qualified to act as your Coven’s advocate?” Caius demanded.   
“Camille has personally overseen my education and she has prepared me for the meeting,” Demi shot back, irritation bubbling up inside her. The one thing she hated most of all was being looked down upon and that’s why Caius was doing. She was still scared of him, but irritation was the second biggest emotion she felt.   
Caius scowled but said nothing.   
“That is most impressive,” Aro said as he sent his brother a warning look. “Shall we begin the meeting?” He asked, looking to Demi.   
Demi nodded her head, eager for the meeting to start.   
Aro crossed his legs with poise, “As I am sure we all are aware, there was an attack on the Blackthorns five days previous.” Aro looked to Demi as if waiting for her to continue and interject at what he said.   
“That’s correct,” Demi said as she sat up straight in her seat, “It was the Russian Coven. They were having a lesson when two figures appeared and started to attack. Blood was everywhere but not a drop was drunk. Witnesses who were at the scene and were attacked believed it was two Vampires.”   
“How do we know it is Vampires that did this?” Caius cut in, his tone filled with deadly venom.   
Demi frowned, mentally wondering how much of the event they were aware of, “Witnesses reported that the assailants had red eyes and moved at an incredible speed,”   
Aro hummed in thought, “How many Witches were lost?”   
More confident than before, Demi managed to look Aro in the eyes. “Twelve injured, five dead. Four Witches and one Warlock,” Demi knew the weight her words carried. The fact Witches had even been killed was a direct violation of the Treaty between them, but for a Warlock to be killed was a declaration of war because Vampires were aware that Warlocks were rare and needed to be protected. Hence the need to include the clause in the Treaty that no Warlock could be harmed or killed.   
“And you accuse us!” Caius snarled.   
Demi shook her head, steeling her nerves. She had been warned by Camille that Caius would be the one to contest these details and was not disappointed or surprised by his reaction. “No, we are not accusing you. We wish to understand why this happened and come to a solution,”   
“Are you proposing an idea?” Aro inquired.   
For a moment, Demi considered his words, but there was a burning question she wanted to ask. “Sir, before I answer that, may I ask a question?” When Aro motioned for her to speak, she asked her question. “How did you find out about the attack?” Demi asked carefully, not wanting to make it seem as though she was accusing them.  
Aro nodded his head, his silk-like hair simmering in the small light provided in the room. “That is a fair question. We received a letter from Nina Federova demanding an explanation. It was… a strongly worded letter,” He admitted diplomatically.   
Caius growled lowly at the memory of the letter.   
Giving no reaction, Marcus said nothing to indicate how he felt about the letter.   
Demi visibly winced at these words. “I apologies for the letter. We had no idea a letter like that had been sent. I will inform Camille of this so she can speak with Nina,” This was an answer that she had dreaded. Nina was known for her temper and she tended to act without thinking. Demi understood that the situation was horrendous and it shouldn’t have happened, but for Nina to send a letter that even Aro thought to be strong – and that was probably putting it lightly – but it was Caius’ reaction that gave it away. Demi knew that she would need to do some damage control.   
Caius opened his mouth to say something scathing, but there was a slight knock on one of the doors. It was ever so slight that Demi didn’t hear it at first. “What is it?!” Caius snarled, unhappy to be interrupted before he could.   
The door opened and revealed a Vampire Demi hadn’t seen before. The Vampire stood tall, he had short blonde hair with bright red eyes. Matching the other Vampires in the room, his skin was pale and resembled porcelain. He wore the Volturi uniform, but it was largely a light grey indicating his rank within the Volturi to be quite low. The man bowed slightly in apology, “I am sorry, Masters, but a matter has come up that needs your immediate attention,”  
“We asked to be not be disturbed, Afton,” Aro said, his smile smaller than before.   
Demi blinked slowly at the name. She recognised the name as her other potential Guard. As she watched him, Demi felt underwhelmed. All the other Guards had enviable features and qualities about them, but Afton appeared to have none. He was beautiful, but in a plain way that was easily out washed by the other Guards – especially by Demetri, Heidi and Jane. However, Demi suspected she had been spoiled and now her expectations of beauty in Vampires had been raised significantly.   
Aro stood up and held out his hand, silently giving permission for Afton to come into the room. Afton walked over to Aro and took his hand. For a few moments, nothing happened. Aro’s face was scrunched up in concentration whereas Afton's expression was stoic. However, when Aro removed his hand, an annoyed gleam flashed in his blood-red eyes. Aro looked to both Caius and Marcus and hissed something lowly under his breath. Hate and annoyance flashed in Caius’ eyes whereas Marcus sighed deeply. Turning to face Demi, Aro smiled apologetically. “I am terribly sorry, but something unavoidable has come up. Would it be okay if we continued this meeting at a later time today?”   
Sensing the gravity of the situation, Demi nodded her head, “It is fine, I understand. How about we reconvene tomorrow instead?”   
The atmosphere in the room relaxed. Aro made a sound of delight once more, “That would be better. Thank you for understanding,” He glanced at his brothers and motioned them forward. Within the blink of the eye, the Three Kings and Afton were gone.   
A second later, Santiago walked into the room and that’s when she left the room. As she and Santiago walked down the corridor, Demi couldn’t help but wonder what had made Aro unhappy.


	6. Chapter 6

Santiago and Demi walked down the corridors in silence. Demi was still reeling from the meeting that had been suddenly cancelled. She had not expected it but was somewhat welcomed. It gave her more time to think of a plan as she hadn’t expected them to ask her opinion. It also allowed her to contact Camille and inform her of what happened with Nina and she could report that back to the Three Kings. However, the fact the meeting had been disturbed had thrown her off because she had never heard about one being interrupted before. But, she was really curious to know what had happened to warrant such a reaction from Aro.  
Turning to her guide, Demi asked, “Am I allowed to ask what happened?” She was almost hesitant to ask this question. She didn’t know if she was overstepping her boundaries for knowing, but she couldn’t hide her curiosity.  
Santiago paused for a moment, “I am sorry, but that information is best not shared,” He answered tentatively.  
Demi nodded her head in understanding. She was tempted to push the issue slightly because she was so interested to know what had happened. But she knew better. Demi understood that each side had their secrets – the Blackthorn Coven had many so it was expected that Volturi would have many more.  
Taking her silence as a negative, Santiago continued to speak. “This doesn’t mean the meeting isn’t important, it was just unavoidable,” He tried to do as much damage control as he could at that moment. He didn’t want this incident to offend the Blackthorn advocate and ruin any further meetings as he knew the blame may fall onto him.  
Demi laughed slightly and this caught Santiago off guard, “Honestly, it’s fine. I understand that certain things can’t be ignored. I’m sure it isn’t easy being the Leaders of the Vampire community.” Demi had seen first-hand how busy Camille was and she saw how stressed she became with all the responsibility that came with the job. Every time Camille spotted a new grey hair, she blamed the job and laughed it off. Based on this, Demi was considerate to the pressure Aro, Caius and Marcus were under. Demi understood that being a leader wasn’t easy and there were certain fall backs that couldn’t be ignored.  
Santiago regarded Demi for a moment, silently contemplating how he had underestimated her. “Thank you, for being so understanding,”  
Nonchalantly, Demi shrugged her shoulders. “Think nothing of it. But, if you have time, how about you give me a tour of the castle?” Demi’s eyes lit up at the possibility of seeing the castle and learning its history. She had a brief look around when Heidi and Demetri escorted her to the Throne Room and she had been so sad for it to end.  
“Fortunately, that is something I can do,” Santiago said as he led the way.  
Demi quickly followed after him, her body practically buzzing in anticipation. She knew some information about the Volturi and was fairly confident in her knowledge of them but she would never turn down the opportunity to learn more. It would be made even better because Santiago would be the one giving the tour and she was sure he had some stories to share throughout his long life. “Please tell me about the paintings?” Demi asked when she spied the vast canvases on the walls. This was something she had immediately noticed when she entered the castle – they certainly weren’t in short supply of artwork and it made her curious as to how they acquired them.  
“These pieces were commissioned by Aro. He was a fan of Michelangelo,” Santiago explained as his eyes scanned the paintings nearby.  
Demi’s eyes widened at the name. She wasn’t the biggest fan of art – it was the history behind it that she loved. To hear one of the best painters/sculptures/poets/architects had been hired by Aro was fascinating. Demi’s green eyes scanned the painting before her, it was a simple painting of Aro, Caius and Marcus. They were stood together in the Throne Room and they looked very regal, especially Aro. The level of detail in the painting was a phenomenal and Demi felt she was actually looking at the Three Kings and not just a painting of them. What also amazed her was that Caius was smiling.  
As if sensing her shock, Santiago grinned, “Caius was actually a very big fan of Michelangelo. He wanted to turn him into a Vampire so he could continue to create more masterpieces,” It took a lot for Caius to like people and Michelangelo had been one of them. Caius had been captivated Michelangelo’s passion and drive about his work and after that painting had been completed, Caius requested him multiple times until his death.   
“Really?” Demi’s eyes sparkled at this information.  
Santiago nodded his head. “He did, even Aro was on board. However, Michelangelo turned down the offer of immortality,” Santiago remembered the day very well, he had never seen Caius so downtrodden before. It wasn’t very often that people turned down immortality but Michelangelo had been adamant about remaining human.  
Demi couldn’t help but marvel at the story. She had no idea Michelangelo had been offered immortality. That was definitely something that wasn’t mentioned in any history books she had read. Demi turned her head and spotted another portrait a few feet away that seemed to take centre stage of the hallway. This was in a large frame and it contained just two Vampires. The first one was Aro but Demi didn’t recognise the second person but she easily noted how handsome he was – devastatingly gorgeous. The man was the same height as Aro, maybe slightly taller, and he looked to be in his early twenties. The man had collar-length blond hair and had a well-toned medium frame. However, it was the man’s eyes that stood out the most to Demi. They weren’t red like Aro’s, but golden.  
“Who’s that?” Demi asked, not able to tear her eyes away from the picture. Demi flushed red as she stared at the mystery man – he was very attractive and she silently hoped she would see him in the castle.   
Following her gaze, Santiago answered with ease. “That man is Carlisle Cullen. He lived with the Volturi for two decades before he left. He and Aro are close friends as Aro is very fond of him,”  
“But…his eyes?” Demi questioned. She had never seen eyes like that before and it was mesmerising to look at. It was very obvious that the man was Vampire but she had never seen a Vampire with golden eyes.   
“Many people admire Carlisle because he resists the urge for human blood. His control is beyond anything I have ever seen. His diet consists of animals. He and his Coven all follow his diet, creating the golden colour. In our community, they are known as vegetarians.” Santiago explained patiently. He had never tried the diet before and he was not inclined to in the slightest. He admired Carlisle because human blood was nearly impossible to resist but he had managed it.  
Continuing to stare at the painting, Demi could not help but marvel at the man. From what she understood, bloodlust was the hardest thing to fight against. It was not lost on her the irony in calling them vegetarians and it amused her. However, she did not understand why their eyes changed colour. Blood was blood, so why would it affect their eye colour? While she could commend his resistance, she didn't understand why Vampires would resist drinking human blood, after all, it was in their nature – their basic instinct. Demi hummed in thought as they continued their tour. As they walked, she would point at something and ask him about it. Santiago always answered and gave a full explanation behind each item. This continued on for at least an hour and Demi showed no signs of stopping. She was worried that Santiago would think her to be annoying but he seemed to have endless patience with her and she found herself warming up to him. It appeared as though every member of the Guards had their own painting – Santiago had been very embarrassed to see his portrait again but he was very humble about it. Demi had also made sure to skip over Jane and Alec’s portraits as she was too scared to look at them. Santiago explained that Aro liked for every member to have a painting to commemorate joining the Volturi. They’d had many painters in to complete these pieces of work, people like Leonardo da Vinci, Johannes Vermeer and Rembrandt. Demi had thought it to be sweet and loved the idea. Soon, they arrived on one of the lower floors that were slightly darker than all the others but Demi ignored this as she continued to take in everything she could. Demi knew she would never get this chance again and so she fully intended to indulge in all the history she could learn.  
She stopped when she came across another painting. However, this was different from all the others. It was a very large painting and the frame made from gold. The picture itself was rather simple; Aro, Caius and Marcus stood above many bodies. Demi assumed the bodies were Vampires as all their heads had been decapitated and there was no blood. Demi spied the other Guards within the painting but the main focus was Jane and Alec, using their powers.  
“What’s the story behind this one?” Demi asked as she pointed to the large painting of the battle. It made her to curious because this canvas was bigger than all the other pictures they had come across.   
Santiago examined the portrait and then looked down at the Witch, “How much are you aware of Volturi history?”  
Demi biting her lip in thought. “I know the Volturi weren’t the first ones around, they took over from the Romanian Coven who ruled previous. The Romanian Coven is known as the oldest Coven in the world and the Volturi usurped them,” All textbooks relating to this issue had been vague and never gave much detail. Demi had always wanted to learn more about this but whenever she asked Camille, she would never get a straight answer.  
Santiago nodded his head. “You are correct. The Volturi overthrew the Romanian Coven in 452 AD. They did not hide the fact they were Vampires and would flaunt it to everyone, something Aro heavily disagreed with. The Coven majority concentrated on physical strength with most of its members being physically imposing Vampires. They paid little attention to Vampires with gifts.”  
For a moment, Demi was confused. “But, wouldn’t it be better if you didn’t have to hide?” She had always thought it to be unfair that supernatural creatures had to hide away from humans. It wasn’t like humans could actually kill Vampires as they were basically indestructible. This was something many Witches in the Coven whispered about to one another as they longed to not have to hide anymore. Demi was more reserved about Witches coming to light because of the Salem Witch Trials. Witches were still very much human and weren’t nearly as durable as Vampires, hence her reluctance.   
“It’s all about balance,” Santiago explained, “When the Romanian Coven were in power they turned people that impressed them. There came a point where there were too many Vampires and the human population started to go down because they were feeding too much. The Romanian Coven didn’t have control of the Newborns and it was chaos. To correct this, the Volturi took over and created rules to maintain that balance,”  
Demi fell silent in thought. Now, it made sense by Vampires stayed in hiding and she felt stupid for asking the question in the first place. It was to preserve their food source as, without blood, Vampires would become very weak and feral – they wouldn’t die but they would lose any sense of humanity. Easy targets for other people to kill – like the Witches or Children of the Moon. “This painting depicts that battle?” Demi asked as she looked at the painting once more. It was very detailed, possibly even more detailed than any other painting she had seen.   
“No, the second battle,” Santiago answered, causing Demi to look at him curiously and he was more than happy to explain, “Ever since then, the Romanian Coven has harboured resentment towards us and would do anything to overthrow us. One hundred years after their downfall, the Romanian Coven tried to make a comeback with one hundred Vampires. They thought that would be enough to kill us but they were wrong,” Santiago stared at the painting. He wasn’t around when the Romanian’s attacked, but he had been told the stories many times as a warning.   
Looking back at the painting, Demi’s eyes landed on the twins, “That’s where Jane and Alec gained their reputation?”  
Santiago nodded his head, “Yes. Under Aro’s instructions, Jane and Alec massacred the one hundred recruits. Only two members of the Romanian Coven live today because they ran and they are still running. Aro likes to send Demetri out every so often to check up on them,”  
Demi hummed in thought as she cast her eyes onto the painting once more. Her gaze landed on the two Romanian Vampires and she examined them carefully. One was a short male with dark brown hair and the other was a similar height with ashy blonde hair and red eyes. Demi couldn’t help but think they looked familiar and felt as though she had met them before. Demi mentally shook her head, dismissing the thoughts in her head.  
“Shall we continue?” Santiago said, snapping Demi out of her daze.  
“Yes,” Demi said as she turned away from the painting.

TWILIGHT 

It was now afternoon time and Demi felt assured that she could find her way around the castle. Santiago had shown her some other places in the castle, like the games room that most Guards frequented when they weren’t on missions. Demi had also been shown the library where she was confident she would be spending a lot of time. She planned to look at their history books and hope to learn even more than she had already. There were many other rooms within the castle and her feet had started to hurt with how much walking she had done. Demi wasn’t the most physically fit person as she preferred to stay indoors brewing potions. The most exercise she got was when she was gardening and even that wasn’t much.  
“Do you have any questions?” Santiago asked as he looked down to his charge.  
Demi smiled and shook her head, “No, you’ve covered everything, I think. But if I have any questions, I’ll be coming to you,”  
Santiago seemed pleased with that answer and nodded his head.  
Demi wallowed thickly as she willed herself to ask what was on her mind. “Though I do have one personal question and you don’t have to answer it,” Demi she felt herself become flustered as she explained. She didn’t want Santiago to feel as though he had to answer the question as it was for her sake more than anything.  
Saying nothing, Santiago motioned for her to continue.  
“What’s your role within the Volturi?” Demi questioned, her curiosity getting the better of her. She had wondered this for a little while. As far as Demi was aware, everyone in the Guard had a duty besides missions. Heidi was the Fisher that lured their prey, Demetri was the tracker and Jane and Alec were the weapons.  
Santiago smiled, not perturbed by the question in the slightest. “It’s fine, I don’t mind answering. While I may not have a gift exactly, I do have superior physical strength and battle techniques and as such, I act as an executor, like Felix.”  
Demi’s eyes widened as this. She wasn’t aware that the Volturi allowed Vampires to enter their ranks unless they had a gift. Demi had assumed that this was a requirement – just like the rest of her Coven did. It was always assumed that Aro would pluck the Vampires that had the most powerful gifts to add to his collection. “Wow, that’s cool,”  
“Oh, it’s nothing,” Santiago waved dismissively.  
“Oh, I disagree, my friend.” A familiar voice said. Demi turned her head and saw Heidi walking in their direction. The sound of her heels hitting the floor now noticeable. She was wearing a deep purple dress that ended at her knee with black stilettoes and she looked gorgeous as usual. Now, Demi could see her eyes and they were a deep red.  
Demi’s eyes lit up when she saw a familiar face, “Hello Heidi, how are you?”  
Heidi smiled widely, “Oh I am good, biscuit. Don’t listen to this stiff over here. He has helped me more times than I can count,” She winked in his direction but Santiago just rolled his eyes at her behaviour.  
“Huh?” Demi looked at them both confused as to what Heidi was talking about.  
Sensing her confusion, Santiago unnecessarily sighed. “I am quite adept at technology. I have assisted Heidi in setting up flights for the humans who visit the castle,” He didn’t really see this as important or remarkable but Heidi would never listen to that.   
“Ah, makes sense,” Demi nodded her head in understanding.  
Heidi snorted, “That’s putting it lightly. I hate computers, still do. Though I suppose fishing for food has become easier,” A feral smirk rolled onto her face. Usually, she would have to send out letters or something – which she could do easily but it took longer to get their food. However, when things became digital she struggled and didn’t understand why people used the magic box. Now, she have people booked for a tour in no time but she needed Santiago to assist her most times.   
Demi shivered at her words, they were so primal that it made her heart skip a beat.  
Santiago glared her, “Heidi…”  
“What?” Heidi asked as she looked confused, but then she glanced down and saw Demi’s paler than the normal face, “Oh…”  
Demi shook her head, “It is fine… sometimes I forget you guys are Vampires.” Demi flushed at her words when she realised what she said. However, they were the truth. Vampires in her Coven were painted out to be villainous, blood-hungry creatures that had no souls. But being around them and getting to know them was seriously challenging these stereotypes.  
“Well ain’t that sweet.” Heidi smiled softly.  
Santiago smiled in agreement. It had been a long time since someone had forgotten they were a Vampire.  
“So, I heard you met Jane,” Heidi said, moving on the conversation. Demi mentally thanked Heidi for this as she felt too embarrassed.  
Demi groaned at the memory. Of all the people she had angered, it had to Jane. It couldn’t have been one of the lower Guards whose opinion wasn’t as highly valued compared to the twins. But no, it had to be Jane – one of the favoured Guards within the Volturi.  
Sighing at the memory, Santiago frowned when Heidi looked in his direction, “Unfortunately, it wasn’t a good meeting.” He had been hoping to avoid Jane. Usually, she never sought out the Witches and tended to stay away, but this time she did something different. Santiago had a feeling it was because she was becoming predictable and Jane hated that.  
Heidi winced at his words, “Yikes. To be fair, it doesn’t take a lot for her to get angry,” It was very well known in the Volturi that Jane had the shortest temper, just behind Caius.  
Demi snorted, mentally agreeing with her words. But she would never say it out loud in case anyone overheard her. She wasn’t sure how safe she was around Jane even with the Treaty in place. Her only saving grace was that she had yet to meeting Alec as she wasn’t sure her nerves could take it.  
Santiago hummed in agreement, “So who was the poor sod she made her next victim?” If the kitchen door had been an indicator, he knew someone else would have paid the price. Jane couldn’t touch Demi and that would have angered her more than anything. Jane didn’t like being told no.  
“Felix,” Heidi answered.  
“Wait, was that because of me?” Demi asked guiltily. The thought she had caused Jane to attack someone within her own Coven made her feel awful.  
Both Santiago and Heidi snorted, “It’s not your fault, biscuit. Felix and Demetri like to see how far they can push Jane and unfortunately, today wasn’t the day. Felix will be fine, he’ll keep going back to annoying her. And of course, Aro lets her get away with everything.” Heidi answered while rolling her eyes. Felix and Demetri had a habit of taunting Jane because of how much she hated it. It was very typical to see one of the two on the floor in pain because Jane had snapped at them.  
This made Demi feel better but something didn’t sit right with her. “But how can she get away with that?” If anyone in the Blackthorn Coven attacked one another, there would be serious consequences. The fact that Jane got away with attacking one of her own seemed almost alien to her.  
“That’s because she is Aro and Caius’ favourite. She and Alec get away with everything. Aro likes to spoil them by getting them things.” Santiago answered with ease. This was something every Guard had come to accept, they knew what the pecking order was.  
Demi frowned, that didn’t seem fair to her.  
Heidi looked down at her watch, “I’ve got to head off anyway, visits to organise. Take care biscuit!” Heidi sent Demi a dazzling smile before she walked away, her heels clacking against the down floors. 

TWILIGHT 

Demi arrived back in her room and sighed in relief as she leaned against the door. Day one of the trip was over and she was thankful that it was done. Her feet were practically screaming in pain with how much walking she had done. Demi made a note to herself to drink one of the pain relief potions before she went to bed. Demi knew that if she didn’t, her legs and feet would be very sore the next morning. Now, she could have some time to herself and think about a plan forward. However, she had one thing she needed to do before she made dinner for herself. With that in mind, Demi pushed off the door and headed over to the wardrobe and opened it. She grabbed her phone and dialled the only number on the phone. It rang three times before someone answered.  
“Hello,” Camille’s voice answered.  
“It’s me,” Demi said, a sense of comfort filling her. Just hearing Camille’s voice made her feel happy and that everything would be okay. But it also made her miss home, she had never been away before so this was a new experience.  
“Demi! How are you? Is everything okay?” Camille’s voice became frantic and higher as she asked more questions.  
Demi laughed slightly, “I am good. Everything is fine, what about you?” She walked over to the bed and sat down. She revelled in the fact she sank down into the mattress and now she felt excited to go to sleep that night so she could fully appreciate its plushness. Her nerves had calmed down and now she looked forward to the next day.  
Camille sighed deeply, “Oh you know, the usual stuff. Witches are coming back to from their travels and reporting back to me. Then, of course, Lily is asking where you are,”  
This did not surprise Demi in the slightest. Lily was a child of habit and she didn’t like change. Demi remembered when she and Camille decorated Lily’s room – changing the colour of the walls to a soft pink colour among other things. When Lily saw the room, she had thrown a massive fit, she had screamed, shouted and threw herself to the ground – even though Lily had been the one to suggest the colour and seemed happy for her room to be decorated. Lily had always been used to Demi being there, so it didn’t shock her that Lily wasn’t taking her absence very well. Demi could only imagine the hell Lily would raise if she didn’t come home soon.  
“Tell me, what’s been going on?” Camille asked eagerly.  
“Well, the meeting began this morning. It appears as though the Volturi didn’t have a hand in the attack,” Demi began as she looked at her door. She didn’t have to worry about anyone overhearing her conversations. Santiago had explained that all the private rooms within the castle were charmed by Blackthorn Witches that made then soundproof, and that included Demi’s room. Santiago had explained that some Guards wanted privacy but their extremely sharp sense of hearing prevented this and so they employed the Witches to remedy this. She could speak freely in the room and this brought her a lot of comfort.  
Camille hummed, “Keep your wits about you. They could be lying,”  
Demi wanted to argue back but she stopped herself. Personally, Demi had believed Aro when he said they found out about the attack from Nina. However, if it had been them, Demi struggled to understand how and why. It seemed as though Aro was particularly keen to keep the agreement between the Witches – but it was Caius she wasn’t so sure about. “I will, but they also informed me that found out about the attack through Nina.”  
“Nina?” Camille repeated as her voice raised and became shrill.  
Demi nodded her head, “Yes. Aro mentioned that she sent a letter, one that even they thought to be strong,” Demi winced at the memory. She had been embarrassed for Nina and herself. Demi hadn’t even sent the letter but she had felt the shame. She hoped that the Volturi wouldn’t demand action against Nina, but that would only happen if they felt Camille hadn’t handled the situation efficiently enough.  
Camille cursed loudly on the phone and it sounded as though something smashed in the background.  
“Camille?” Demi said.  
“Sorry, I dropped my mug.” Camille sighed deeply. “I will speak to Nina personally and get her to send an apology letter. What was the reaction?” Her voice was strained as if she was scared to find out the ramifications for Nina’s actions.  
Demi grimaced, “Aro seemed understanding, but Caius…” It was his reaction that worried Demi the most. It was likely that Caius would demand retribution and it was he Demi would need to be the wariest of – even more so than before.  
Camille cursed again. “I will handle it. Tell them this won’t happen again,” Her voice was so cold and detached that it sent a shiver down Demi’s spine.  
Demi nodded her head. She could only imagine what Camille would have to do. Getting Nina to write an apology letter seemed almost impossible. Nina was far too stubborn and headstrong with a very negative disposition against Vampires – just like the rest of the Covens. However, Camille wouldn’t back down on this because it was her duty as Coven Leader to uphold the peace with the Vampires. If Demi had to put her money on anyone, she would pick Camille any day.  
“Has anything else happened?” Camille asked.  
There had been so much Demi wanted to say. Demi wanted to tell Camille about Aro not being able to read her mind and how the meeting got interrupted, but something stopped her. Demi had a strong suspicion that Camille would ask her to come home and she didn’t want to leave yet. Demi was determined to finish this mission and if it meant withholding the information against Camille then so be it. Camille was overprotective and Demi was unwavering in the fact she could do this on her own. “No, everything is going fine,” Demi finally said, her mind made up.  
“Are you sure?” Camille pressed, her voice uncertain.  
“Yep,” Demi answered back with ease, “The first talks seemed to go positively,” The first meeting hadn’t gone as planned, but it also gave her time to think and plan ahead. Aro had wanted to know her opinion and Demi didn’t want to go in clueless.  
“…Okay,” Camille said, “I’ve got to go now, but if you anything, just give me ring, alright?”  
Demi smiled, “I will. Tell Lily I said hello and I’ll try to bring her back a souvenir,”  
Camille laughed, “Oh I am sure she will love that. Take care, Demi,”   
Demi ended the call and placed the phone down on the bed. She sighed deeply as guilt filled her. She had never concealed anything from Camille before so this was a new experience. If anything happened, the first person Demi would inform was Camille. It was unnerving, but at the same time, it felt thrilling. Demi was finally carving her own path, outside of her parent's shadow and outside of Camille’s shadow.  
Demi could only hope everything went well.


	7. Chapter 7

It was the next morning and Demi was sat in the meeting room as she waited for the Three Kings to arrive so they could start the meeting once more. Santiago had left once she insisted she would be fine on her own for a few moments as she was sure they wouldn’t be too long. She’d had the best night sleep, the mattress had been firm but comfy at the same time. Demi had been so refreshed that the dark circles under her eyes were basically non-existent and she felt rejuvenated. Demi hadn’t wanted to get up from the bed but then she remembered that she had a meeting that morning that couldn’t be missed no matter what. She had then taken a long shower but had eyed the bath intently – making a mental note to herself to try the bath out another time. Santiago had brought her down to the kitchen and she made herself a decent sized breakfast. Luckily, she didn’t have another run-in with Jane – Santiago had told her that Jane was in her room.  
Demi looked up when the door opened and Aro, Caius and Marcus stepped in. “Good morning,” She greeted as she stood up and smoothed down her black dress. She wore a sleeveless black dress that ended just above her knees, thin black tights and black ballerina shoes. As usual, she wore her black gloves and all the other repressors that kept her fire powers in check.  
Aro smiled widely, “Good morning, I apologise about the day before,” He said as he glided over to his seat along with Caius and Marcus. Upon seeing her, Caius scowled whereas Marcus gave no reaction.  
“It’s alright. I understand that things crop up. I hope everything is okay?” Demi asked politely. She was still very curious to know what happened but she knew better than to ask. Santiago had already told her that it was best she didn’t know and so she didn’t want to push it.  
“Quite alright,” Aro said as he held out his hand, seeking permission, “May I?” He stared at her, hopeful that Demi would take his hand once more. Instead of being annoyed, Demi found this amusing. She would never voice this out loud, but she viewed Aro’s actions as childlike. He would try and read her mind even though they both knew that he couldn’t but he would still try regardless.  
“You may,” She said as she took off her glove and grasped Aro’s hand gently. Just like the other two instances, nothing happened. Demi couldn’t feel anything, other than the coldness of Aro’s hand and how smooth it was. Demi suspected that this would continue to happen throughout her stay in the Volturi and she hoped he would never read her mind in fear of him finding out her secret.  
After a few seconds, Aro took away his hand, “I still can’t read your mind,” He said, his eyes lit up in excitement.  
Caius grumbled under his breath causing Aro to send him a severe look, one that Demi pretended not to see. She had no idea what was said because she didn’t hear it, but she suspected that it wasn’t kind and it was about her. Aro sat down in his throne and put his hands together, “Is there anything you would like to share?” He asked as he looked in Demi’s direction.  
Demi nodded her head and she put her glove back on as she took a seat, “I would. I have spoken with Camille and she was also unaware of the letter that was sent by Nina. She will be dealing with Nina and she said to expect an apology letter from her,”  
“And you think that will be enough?” Caius demanded.  
Demi frowned, “I understand that what she said wasn’t good and I apologise for that. We had no idea it had been sent. However, I think what needs to be taken into consideration is her emotional state. She just lost her child and her Coven attacked.” Adrien was Nina’s only child, she had struggled for years to conceive and now her only child had been killed by Vampires.  
“Excuses!” Caius hissed loudly.  
A spike of irritation passed through her, “What would you like to see happen then, sir?” Demi looked at the empty space between Aro and Caius as she clenched her fists under the table. She was annoyed by him but she would never look him in the eyes as that would be pressing her luck.  
Caius opened his mouth but he was stopped when Aro raised his hand, “Enough. The Witch’s words are right. If Nina has lost her child in this attack I believe she has lost enough. We will look forward to this letter,” Aro said graciously, sending Caius a pointed stare once more when it seemed as if he was going to protest.  
“Thank you,” Demi bowed her slightly as a mark of respect.  
“Now, onto the matter at hand,” Aro said as he moved on, “Yesterday, we discussed the incident that happened. I am sure we are both eager to resolve this issue,” Aro looked to Demi as if he was waiting for her confirm them.  
“We are,” Demi responded.  
Aro put his hands together in thought, “We cannot deny there is mistrust on both sides and we must remedy this if the Treaty is to stay intact. Do you know how we can bridge this gap?” Aro asked, his tone light but the warning was clear as day.  
Come up with a good idea or else.   
Taking a deep breath, Demi spoke, “I think the best way to solve this is to capture the two people involved so they can be interrogated. We all don’t know the full extent of what happened and why it happened. I suggest trying to track down these two people and bring them back,” Demi knew that she had to come up with a halfway decent idea otherwise it would be rejected. Caius had been right in a way, there was no way to know if the perpetrators had been Vampires as there could be other supernatural creatures with that eye colour and speed – maybe one that had yet to come forward into the supernatural world. Also, the accounts of the Witches involved were precarious at best, all survivors too traumatised to fully remember the details and Demi had to take into consideration her Coven’s predisposition against Vampires.  
Aro hummed in thought as he turned to Caius and Marcus. He muttered lowly at such a fast pace, Demi couldn’t understand it. Caius hissed back and Marcus said nothing. This continued on for a minute before Aro turned back to Demi, “We believe that is a reasonable request. However, I must ask that you remain here until the assailants have been reprimanded. Is that acceptable?”  
A sense of delight filled Demi, they hadn’t turned down her idea. “That would be completely fine. I will contact Camille and inform her of this. I could also ask for some Witches to begin a tracking spell,” She suggested, wanting as many people on the mission as possible. When Vampires and Witches worked together they were practically unstoppable.  
“Surely you could do that?” Caius demanded, his tone harsh.  
Demi swallowed thickly, her nerves coming back full force. “Tracking spells are not my forte and I want to put our best Witches on it,” She mentally prayed that they wouldn’t pry anymore. Demi knew that they could hear her heartbeat and she hoped they put her heart racing to the fact she was nervous around Caius and not something else.  
Aro waved dismissively, “That is quite alright. Demetri will be enough,” A smirk rolled onto his face, a sly gleam in his eyes that made Demi nervous.  
It made Demi feel stupid for even asking the question. Of course, they wouldn’t need any magic – Demetri was all they needed. Demetri was considered to be the greatest tracker in the world. That is why Aro recruited him because he does not surround himself with second-bests. Demi remembered the whispers about Demetri in the Coven, he could track anyone in the world and with him around, no one could hide from the Volturi.  
“Please inform the Russian Coven that Demetri will be visiting so he can pick up the scent,” Aro asked. “He won’t go anyone near them, but he will be in the area for a few moments,”  
Demi nodded her head but mentally winced. The Russian Coven would not like that at all but it didn’t seem as though there was much of a choice. If they wanted the person reprimanded, Demetri would need to do to Moscow.  
“We shall reconvene once more when we have more information. But for now, you have free reign to explore the city and castle as you wish, but within reason.” Aro explained, a wide smile on his face.  
“That sounds reasonable. I will speak with Camille tonight.” Demi said after considering Aro’s words. She was happy that she wasn’t going to be restricted to the castle. Now, she could explore and buy a souvenir for Lily, “But, if I may, can I request Demetri be sent out in a few days? This is to give Nina time to prepare herself and the Coven,” Demi knew that if this was sprung on Nina at the last minute, she would not handle the situation well. Demi highly suspected there was going to be a volatile reaction from Nina and she was glad she wasn’t anywhere near the Russian Women.  
Caius scowled at her words, but he said nothing. Aro nodded his head in agreement, “That should be fine.”  
Demi mentally sighed in relief. She had bought Camille some extra time to prepare Nina for this visit.

TWILIGHT 

Demi had been escorted back to her room by Santiago. He had informed her that he was needed elsewhere for a moment but would be back in an hour and this gave Demi plenty of time to contact Camille. Santiago hadn’t said what he was needed for and Demi didn’t ask, not wanting to intrude on his life when he had been so good to her. As soon as she was in her room, she locked the door and walked over to her desk. She grabbed the phone and dialled the only number on the device. It rang twice before someone answered.  
“Demi? Is everything okay?” Camille frantically asked.  
Demi smiled and shook her head, even if she knew Camille couldn’t see her, “I am fine. I was just calling to say that we’ve managed to put a plan together.”  
Camille sighed in relief, “Oh thank goodness. So what’s been going on?” She asked, her voice a lot calmer than before.  
Looking at her desk, Demi put the call on speaker so her hands were free, “It’s been decided that to find out more information before we can go forward, we need to track down the two people responsible and question them. They plan to send Demetri,” Demi plucked up her potions case and opened it while she put down her phone on the desk. She took a mental list of her stock and found she was short with a few supplies.  
“That’s good,” Camille hummed lowly. “With Demetri, they won’t stay hidden for long,”  
“There is just one small issue,” Demi winced, mentally preparing herself for what was to come, “Demetri will need to visit Moscow to gather the scent,”  
The phone line went silent for a moment and this worried Demi. However, it didn’t last long before there was the sound of something smashing on the ground violently, “Are you kidding me?!” Demi flinched at the loud volume, worried that the soundproofing in her room wouldn’t hold up. “They have already suffered enough! Sending Demetri will set them off again!”  
“I know, but it’s the only way. We need this issue resolved,” Demi argued back, hoping Camille would see reason. Without Camille, there would be no way that Nina would be convinced.  
Camille scoffed, “Well this is a stupid idea. It is so absurd!”  
Hurt filled Demi at her words, “But…I thought of it…” She had thought it was a good idea, but to hear it be so quickly dismissed wounded her.  
The line went deadly silent and it only made Demi’s nerves scramble. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that. I meant sending Demetri to Moscow is a bad idea. None of the Russian Coven will like this, it is still too raw,” Camille sighed deeply, knowing the implications this idea would have.  
“He won’t actually be anywhere near the Coven, just nearby. He won’t even be seen. Demetri just needs to pick up the scent and he will be gone,” Demi said as she tried to reason with Camille. Demi was confident in her idea but she just needed to have Camille on her side.  
“…Okay. I will talk to Nina but she won’t be happy,” Camille said eventually.  
Demi snorted, “When is she ever happy?” Nina’s face was always harsh and severe, even when she was happy she looked mad. When she was made head of the Russian Coven she looked angry – the same happened when she gave birth to Adrian. Demi could never tell when Nina was happy and so she always just assumed she was angry and stayed away from the women because she terrified Demi.  
“Cheeky,” Camille laughed, “But you’re not wrong,”  
“Have you spoken to her about the apology letter?” Demi asked as she picked up a potion bottle. This vial was filled with pain medication and it was half empty. She had used some last night to heal her achy feet and muscles. Demi made a mental note to make another one just in case. If she was going to be sightseeing, she was definitely going to need more potion. Knowing the ingredients from memory, she knew exactly what she needed to make the potion.   
Camille groaned loudly in pain, “I did. It was not good. She is adamant that she has done nothing wrong and denied it at first,” Demi rolled her eyes in exasperation, not surprised by that reaction. “But she eventually gave in and said she would send one,”  
“Good, let’s just hope it’s a good letter that appeases Caius,” Demi knew that it would take a lot to impress Caius but it was a start nonetheless.  
Camille snorted loudly, “Nothing could do that,” Demi smiled and shook her head, but she didn’t deny them. “So, when should I expect you back? In two days?”  
Demi faltered and she nearly dropped her potion. She mentally slapped herself, she hadn’t told Camille that she would need to stay until the people were reprimanded. “Actually…”  
“Hm?”  
Demi inhaled deeply, knowing she needed to get this over and done with quickly. “Aro has requested that I stay until the people are dealt with,”  
“…and you agreed?”  
“Yes,” Demi said shakily, her voice higher than normal.  
3  
2  
1  
“ARE YOU JOKING?!”  
Demi winced and jumped back from the phone. She put the vial back on the desk because she was scared she would drop it.  
“You are not staying there! You are to come home immediately!” Camille shouted, her voice became shriller as she spoke.  
“I have already accepted Camille. I need to stay and see this through.” Demi had already agreed with Aro and she refused to go back on her word. Demi didn’t like breaking her word because she took promises seriously. It also made sense to stay as she could see this task through and watch as the assailants got punished.  
Camille made a sound of protest, not agreeing with her words. Sensing another blowout, Demi quickly jumped in, “And besides, they’re sending Demetri. It won’t take longer than a couple days anyway. This probably won’t take longer than a week and that’s how long it was expected anyway and you did say my stay could be extended,”  
Slowly, Camille sighed. “Fine. You have seven days and if it isn’t resolved by then, I will be speaking with Aro personally and I will send someone in your place,”  
It took everything inside Demi not protest. She wanted to argue that she could do this and she didn't like nor did she appreciate how Camille was underestimating her. Instead, she nodded her head, “Fine.”  
“I’m sorry I can’t talk longer, but I have to go. Take care of yourself,” Camille said as she hung up the phone.  
Demi sighed once the phone call was done and groaned loudly. She really hoped that this would be settled within seven days because she knew Camille would hold up her end of the bargain. Demi hoped that this would not happen because that would be highly embarrassing to have to leave. She also wished that Aro would not see it as an insult because no doubt Caius would. However, one thing was certain at that moment – this week wasn’t going to be easy.

TWILIGHT 

Lunchtime had rolled in and Santiago had picked her up from her room as he had promised. Demi was now in the kitchen, preparing herself something to eat, contemplating the meal as there were so much to choose from. The Volturi had gone all out buying heaps of food that would more than likely get wasted so she made it her mission to use all the food because wasting food was sacrilegious to her. After deciding on her meal – a bacon and egg sandwich – she began cooking. This didn’t take long to make and soon she was eating.  
“Was everything okay on your end?” Demi asked as she ate her meal.  
Santiago hummed, “It did. Heidi needed some assistance in booking flights for the tour.” He was stood near to the entrance of the kitchen, his arms casually folded over his chest. He wore an outfit similar to yesterday, a grey suit and his Volturi crest visible.  
“Right,” Demi said as she felt a little awkward. It seemed such a casual way to be talking about innocent people that would be murdered and drained of their blood. Demi pushed that mental image aside and focused on her food.  
“And you?” Santiago asked politely.  
Demi nodded her head, “I did. Camille knows what is happening and she will warn Nina of Demetri’s visit,” She tried not to think too much about Camille’s reaction because every time she did, she winced at the memory. Demi had been glad she never had the phone to her ear otherwise she would have risked losing her hearing after that conversation.  
Santiago opened his mouth to speak, but he stopped. Demi looked up and noticed there was another person in the kitchen, a Vampire. Demi gasped when she saw him, she hadn’t even heard him come into the room and that made her heart beat in her throat. She knew who he was the moment she saw him, it was Felix. Felix was very tall and burly, it almost reminded Demi of a Grizzly Bear she had seen in the forest once. Felix had a slight olive complexion which looked odd combined with his chalky pallor, though he was still very beautiful. He had short, cropped, black hair and red eyes. He wore a suit similar to Santiago but it was darker and the blazer was missing with the sleeves rolled up, showing off his massive arms.  
Felix’s eyes scanned Demi and then he smirked, showing off his pearly white straight teeth, “So, this is the Witch that angered Jane so much,” His voice was low and rough but it still sounded pleasant to the ear.  
“Is she still angry?” Demi asked warily as she snapped out of her shock.  
Santiago sighed and sent Felix a pointed look, “Unfortunately yes,” It would be his goal to make sure Jane and Demi never crossed paths again as Jane’s temper was far too short and Demi had a loose mouth. Not the greatest of combinations. Usually, Witches never even looked at Jane and that’s what she preferred – their fear.  
“Oh she’s pissed,” Felix laughed so heartily and loudly that Demi felt the vibrations through the floor.   
Demi visibly winced. Jane scared her so much and she hadn’t meant to talk back, it has just happened. She had hoped that maybe Jane’s danger would diminish as time went on, but it seemed as though this was not the case. “I am so sorry, it was my fault she attacked you,”  
Felix dismissively waved her off, “It was nothing, hardly even hurt,” To further his point, he puffed out his chest as if to show off how tough he was. Demi watched as the buttons on his shirt strained and for a moment, she feared they would pop off.  
“How about you tell Jane that?” Santiago snorted with a smirk on his face. If Jane heard anyone saying that about her powers, she would have a fit – a very ugly and painful fit.  
Felix glared at him.  
“So, what can we help you with?” Santiago asked, curious to know what he wanted. It was unusual when members of the Volturi would seek out the Witches that visited, often they would stay away. However, it seemed as though this wasn’t the case this time around.  
Felix grinned widely, “I just wanted to meet the little Witch that everyone is talking about,” He eyed Demi for a moment as if he was trying to understand what had interested everyone so much. It wasn’t often a Witch captured a Vampire’s attention.  
Demi swallowed thickly and avoided his gaze.  
“And?” Santiago prompted further, knowing there was never just one reason for Felix appearing. There was always another reason and he had come to expect it.  
“And I wanted to spar with you,” Felix relented with a grin.  
Santiago sighed unnecessarily but smiled as he was used to Felix’s behaviour. “Unfortunately, Felix I can’t spar with you.” He briefly glanced in Demi’s direction, silently conveying that he could not participate because he had to watch his charge. He quite enjoyed sparing with Felix because of how unpredictable he could be, Felix’s battle strategies were second to none and kept him on his toes.  
“I don’t mind. I could stay in my room,” Demi offered. She didn’t want Santiago to miss out on having fun just because of her. Besides, it could give her time to make some potions, or she could spend some time in the library.  
“See! Even the Witch agrees!” Felix gestured to Demi, his eyes lit up like a child.  
Santiago shook his head, “Her name is Demi, not Witch.” He looked over to Demi, “Are you sure it’s okay?”  
Demi nodded her head and smiled, “Of course. Go have fun,”  
A grin trolled into Felix’s face when an idea hit him. “How about you come watch?”  
Demi’s eyes widened at the suggestion, not expecting it this offer. Santiago sent him a severe look, “Felix…”  
“What?” Felix questioned innocently, “You get to watch the Witch and we get to spar. It’s a win-win!”  
Santiago rolled his eyes at Felix’s behaviour and begrudgingly he couldn’t deny that it was a decent plan. He looked over to Demi, “Is that okay?”  
Demi shrugged her shoulders, “Why not. Just make sure that you win,” A teasing grin rolled onto her face.  
Felix laughed out loud, “I knew there was something I liked about you.” Felix flashed in front of Demi and picked her up in his arms surprisingly gently despite his burly attitude. Demi made a sound of surprise as the ground disappeared before her, she hadn’t even seen or heard him move. She had blinked and he was in front of her. Up-close, Demi realised how much bigger he was to her, she was basically half his size. Felix looked over to Santiago before he ran off, “Catch us if you can!”  
“Felix!” Santiago yelled out as Felix and Demi disappeared.  
The world around Demi went blurry as Felix ran them to the training room she had been shown the day before. She couldn’t even shout or scream she had been shocked to silence but she found she enjoyed the journey. The wind hit her face and blew her hair backwards, something she delighted in thoroughly. Demi closed her eyes for a moment and then everything stopped. She was gently placed back down on the ground and as soon as her feet touched the ground, she opened her green eyes and saw she was in the training room. This room was massive and it stretched on for yards. It was open and airy, perfect for fighting and sparring. As she looked around, Demi noticed how scarred the room was. Holes in walls, body imprints littered the walls and ground. Craters were scattered around the room and weapons lined the walls. The training room was rough and ready – this room was definitely well used and Demi was sure it had seen a lot of action.  
“Woah,” Demi said breathlessly. She felt like she had just been on a roller-coaster and she wanted to do it again.  
Santiago appeared in the room and sighed in relief when he saw Demi unharmed, “Are you okay?” He asked as his eyes checked her over for any injuries. He relaxed when he didn’t see anything wrong with her, she just looked a little windswept.   
Demi grinned, “I’m fine. I kind of want to do that again,” It had been a surprise at first and she hadn’t liked how Felix had grabbed her without her consent, but she appreciated how gentle he had been. He could have easily squashed her like a bug considering their size difference.  
Felix threw his head back and laughed, “I really like this Witch! She has a sense of adventure!” In a flash, he ran over to the other side of the room, resembling a blur. He had a huge grin on his face as he slammed his open palms on his chest. “Come at me, Santiago!”  
Shaking his head, Santiago grinned slightly. He removed his blazer and handed it to Demi so it didn’t get ruined – he quite liked this blazer. “Apologies, Demi,” Within the blink of an eye, Santiago disappeared and ran at Felix and tackled him to the ground.  
Demi flinched at the sound. When Santiago had slammed into Felix, it had sounded like to metal poles had slammed into one another. Looking around, Demi noticed a bench and sat down on this, while holding Santiago’s blazer close to her. Demi tried to watch the sparring match between Santiago and Felix but she couldn’t see much of it, they were like blurs and it was too fast for her to see. She narrowed her eyes as she tried to focus on the match but it was useless. She couldn’t even tell who was who because it was too quick for her eyes to keep up.  
“My money’s on Felix,” A new voice said.  
Demi visibly jumped and snapped her head in the direction of the voice. It was a woman, one that Demi hadn’t seen before. The woman was on the smaller side, but still taller than herself, with perfectly sculptured marble skin, long light brown hair and bright red eyes. The woman wore a dark blue short dress and black stilettos.  
“What?” Demi asked, confused.  
The woman smiled, amused by her reaction. “The total score is 421 to 214 with Felix in the lead. My name is Chelsea,” She smiled and showed off her pearly white teeth, all perfectly aligned with no imperfections.  
It took a moment for Demi to recognise the name. Chelsea was a member that had been with the Volturi for a long time – probably one of the oldest members other than the Three Kings. However, other than that not much was known about Chelsea because she was kept hidden, unlike Alec and Jane who were out at the forefront of the Volturi. Not perturbed by her silence, Chelsea continued to speak. “Santiago is probably one of the only Vampires that can keep up with Felix and that’s what he likes. Though Felix is stronger by far, Santiago’s strategies can be unpredictable and it keeps Felix on his toes.”  
“Nice to meet you, my name is Demi. Who is winning? I can’t even tell.” Demi sighed towards the end. She wished she would watch the fight properly but her sight wasn’t as good compared to Vampire's eyes.  
Chelsea concentrated in the match for a few seconds before she answered. “Felix is winning,” Just as she finished speaking, Santiago threw Felix into the wall and created a massive indent in the wall. For a moment, Demi was scared that the wall would collapse but it seemed to hold.  
“Are you sure about that?” Demi asked, unsure. If that throw meant anything, it seemed Santiago had the advantage.  
Chelsea shook her head, making her hair float around her like a halo, “Just wait. Felix is playing with him.”  
Demi watched carefully – as much as she could at least – and observed at Santiago and Felix spared one another. However, no matter how much she tried, she couldn’t see what was going on. However, she didn’t have to wait long to find out the result. Felix had somehow managed to spin Santiago onto the ground and pinned him in place using his whole body weight.  
Felix jumped up, “Another win for me,” He had a huge grin on his face as if he was a child.  
Santiago rolled his eyes and stood up, brushing himself off.  
Looking down to the Witch, Chelsea smirked, “I told you,”  
“Damn,” Demi muttered. She was glad she had not betted money because she would have lost that bet.

TWILIGHT 

An hour had passed and Demi found herself in the library. Apparently, Chelsea had come to collect Felix and Santiago for the last-minute meeting. They had to leave immediately but Santiago had fretted about Demi. She had reassured him that she knew her way around the castle and she would be headed to the library regardless. Demi saw this as a perfect opportunity to finally get some reading material. She also felt confident that she wouldn’t get lost and only then did Santiago give in and swore he would be back after the meeting.  
The library was massive – one that she had only ever dreamed about. There were shelves upon shelves filled with books, some old and some new. There were multiple sitting areas that Demi could have chosen and she had picked the sitting area at the back. It was secluded and away from the entrance. It also put her near all the history books which she thought was perfect. She had plucked up a book and she was curled up on the chair that she found very comfy and perfect for reading.  
Demi had no idea how long she had been there, but she soon felt as though she was being watched. It was an unnerving feeling and it made her feel uncomfortable. She tried to ignore the feeling and continue reading the book but it was impossible. Inhaling deeply, Demi plucked up the courage and looked up.  
Only to find someone stood not too far away from her, just staring at her.  
The Vampire was tall – not as tall as Felix or Demetri – and his body was lithe which looked off with his broader shoulders. He had short dark brown hair that was stylishly cut and his skin resembled a porcelain doll. He was ethereally beautiful but he reminded Demi of someone. He had a strong jawline and chiselled cheeks that made his bright red eyes stand out. He wore an expensive black suit with his Volturi insignia present. However, this is not was intimidated her. She realised there was a reason why she recognised him and it was because he looked like Jane.  
Demi realised that she was face to face with Alec.


	8. Chapter 8

Alec waltzed through the castle at a human pace. As he walked, he couldn’t help but notice that there was an unfamiliar scent in the air. It was faint and old, but it was appealing and it made him take unnecessary breathes to savour the smell. He wondered where the fragrance came from, but he quickly pushed it from his thoughts because he had other things to do. He had just returned from a mission in the UK and it had been extremely taxing on his patience. Vampires in Birmingham had been hiding an Immortal Child and word had made it to the Volturi of what had been happening. Alec and Felix had been sent to deal with the issue as swiftly as possible. While he had been reporting the issue back to Aro, Felix had run off, muttering about finding the Witch and Santiago. Aro had been pleased with the result and had offered him and Felix the first feed when Heidi brought the humans in. Walking into his room, he immediately noticed that his sister was in his room when he smelt her scent, orchids and sandalwood. Peering into his room, he noticed she was sat near the window, a sneer on her face.  
“Who has annoyed you now?” Alec asked as he stepped into the room and he closed the door behind him. His sister liked to escape to his room whenever she got annoyed. The view from his window was spectacular, especially around sunset or dawn. Jane’s room was a few doors away from his but she claimed his room had a better view.  
The sneer on Jane’s face deepened, “The Witch,” She hissed lowly, the venom thick.  
Alec arched a perfectly shaped brow. He was aware that a Witch from the Blackthorn Coven was visiting but he thought she would be gone by the time he finished the mission. He had heard about what happened with the Coven in Russia and hadn’t been too impressed. However, it seemed odd to find his sister so provoked by the Witch. “And was has this Witch done to earn your ire?”  
“She spoke back to me. How dare she?” Jane hissed, her eyes blazed in fury.  
Alec hid a smirk. He knew how much his sister hated Witches and they always feared her in return. However, it seemed as if this wasn’t the case this time around and it amused him greatly. He cared for Jane dearly but even he was not ignorant of her self-entitlement. “Yes, how dare her,”  
Jane sent him a glare but there was no real heat behind it. Relaxing her shoulders, Jane looked out the window once more, “How was the mission?”  
“It went fine. A Coven had an Immortal Child and tried to deny it.” Alec answered with ease, sitting down on his bed. Despite the fact he did not sleep, he liked a bed to lay down on to relax. Sometimes, he would lay there with his eyes closed knowing he would never sleep but silently longed to.  
“It’s a shame I couldn’t attend,” Jane said, disappointment in her voice. She enjoyed going out on missions and using her power to punish others. She had asked Aro to let her attend the mission and for once had been refused – something he hardly ever did. Usually, Aro would deny her nothing and it was something she revelled in.  
Alec suspected this was the reason behind her foul mood – as well as the incident with the Witch. Jane hated to be denied anything and he almost felt sorry for the Vampires left behind because he was sure there would have been a tantrum or two. “Any progress on the discussions with the Witch?” Alec asked, curious to know how that was going. He was wondering if things were going as planned or if everything had gone to hell when he left. Aro had seemed pleased when he saw him, Caius was brooding as always and Marcus gave no outward reaction – as always.  
This question caused Jane to scowl once more, marring her face, “Unfortunately, it seems to be going well. Aro appears to like her but I think it’s because he can’t read her mind,” Aro knew her feelings towards the Witch as she had made known to him but he had just laughed and patted her shoulder. That had enraged her more because usually, Aro took her opinion seriously. Nothing would please her more than if the meetings went sour and the Treaty was broken but it would seem she wouldn’t be getting her wish any time soon.  
For a brief second, Alec faltered. “He can’t read her mind?” He had never heard of anyone who could block Aro’s gift. Aro liked to use his gift on everyone he met because there was no way anyone could hide information from him. However, it made him suspicious of what the Witch could be hiding.  
“Yes, and Aro is enthralled by her,” Jane’s eyes darkened in hate as jealously consumed her. She was Aro’s favourite and she didn’t like how this Witch had come on the scene and now his attention was elsewhere.  
Wisely, Alec said nothing. He could see his sister was wound up tightly – too tightly. He was aware that Jane would like nothing more than the Treaty to be broken so she could kill the Witches. Jane absolutely loathed Witches and Wizards and she never saw the reason why the Volturi made the Treaty in the first place because she viewed Vampires as the superior race. On the other hand, Alec understood. He had seen Witches and Warlocks fight and he knew that if things came to blows, it would be too close to call. Witches and Warlocks may be mortal but they were cunning and could be unpredictable.  
Jane stood from her seat, “I’m going hunting,” With that, she disappeared from the room as though she was never there, though her scent lingered in the air.  
Alec sighed unnecessarily before he walked out of his own room. He decided to follow his sister to make sure she was okay. Alec began his journey but stopped when he was three feet away from his room. An intoxicating scent hit his nose – one that he smelt when he entered the castle. Alec breathed in deeply as he took in the scent, it smelled like apple and cinnamon but it was more concentrated and fresher than before. Alec expected for his throat to burn but he found that it soothed it instead. It took him a few moments to realise why the scent was so concentrated – the mouth-watering scent was coming from the library which he lived down the hall from. All thoughts of finding his sister went out the window within seconds, he needed to find out where that delicious scent was coming from. At an impossible speed for a human, he appeared in front of the library doors and opened it. When he did this, Alec was welcomed to a steady heartbeat. His darkened red eyes scanned the room as he tried to locate the scent. Sharpening his senses, he inhaled deeply and instantly knew that the aroma came from the back of the library, in the quietest place, hidden away from others. Within a few seconds, he found the hiding spot with ease and discovered what had been producing the aroma.  
It came from the Witch.  
Watching her, Alec felt like electricity ran through him and he was pretty sure if his heart wasn’t dead, it would have jumped. Physically, there was nothing noteworthy about the Witch. She was tiny and scrawny, her head slightly too big for her body and her forehead noticeable. Her face too round and her nose button-like. Her hair was curly but also looked uncontrollable. In her professional clothing, the Witch looked like a child trying to dress up as an adult. Alec could have easily mistaken the Witch for a child but then he noticed her eyes when she looked up at him and they widened. They were a vivid green colour and she instantly reminded him of a kitten. But her scent was another thing altogether and it trumped everything else. The most surprising thing was that he didn’t want to drink from her even if she smelt delicious.  
Witch blood was like heroin to Vampires, it was even better than human blood. Alec had tasted Witch and Warlock blood in his long time as a Vampire – before the Treaty had been made – and it was still something he craved. Human blood could take the edge off and could satiate him for a time being but nothing could satisfy him like Witch blood which he thought to be superior to Warlock blood. However, this Witch’s scent didn’t send him into a blood frenzy, rather it soothed the more primal side of him.  
The Witch opened her mouth and gasped, her heartbeat going ten to the dozen. She was scared – very scared. Terror poured out of her like a well as her body seized up. She’d gone pale – maybe even paler than him. Every instinct in his body went haywire. The monster inside him didn’t like that and snarled at him to back away from the Witch so she would stop being scared. Obeying, Alec backed away and fled the room, the Witch never leaving his mind.  
Alec slammed his bedroom door shut, nearly ripping it from its hinges in his quest to get away from the Witch and her scent. Alec ran a hand through his hair in aggravation. He thought he had a handle on his more primal side but evidently, he didn’t. Something inside him had snapped and all he wanted to do was protect and soothe the Witch, to stop her being terrified of him. He practically purred at the thought of the Witch not being terrified of him and smiling at him. It had taken everything inside him not to pick her up and try to appease her but he knew it wouldn’t have helped the situation and so he removed himself instead.  
Alec had waited for this moment for a long time. He had found his Mate but she was terrified of him.

TWILIGHT 

The next day 

The third day rolled around and Demi laid on her bed. She stared up at the canopy cover of her bed as she remembered the day before. She had met Alec – one of the Vampires she hadn’t wanted to meet and it still terrified her to this day. After Alec had left the library, Demi had sat frozen in her seat, struggling to breathe or comprehend what had just happened. However, as soon as she came back to her senses, Demi had fled from the library and into her room, locked the door behind her and refused to come out after that. Santiago had checked up on her and she claimed she was feeling tired and would be going to bed early. She had a feeling he didn’t really believe her but she didn’t care. Demi was far too scared to leave her room in case she ran into Alec again. She hadn’t even felt the hunger from missing dinner because she was that unhinged. She had been tempted to ring Camille but she resisted the urge because she didn’t want her to worry. Sighing, Demi got up from her bed as she knew Santiago would be knocking on her door anytime soon. There was no clock in the room, but her internal body clock warned her that she had spent too long in bed regardless. After jumping in for a quick morning shower and her morning routine, Demi dressed herself dark plum dress that reached her knees, black tights and her pumps. Demi looked longingly at her jeans and hoodies. She wished she could wear the casual clothing that she brought in case she went sightseeing.  
A knock on the door alerted her to Santiago’s presence. One last look in the mirror, Demi mentally approved the outfit and opened the door. “Good morning,” Santiago greeted with a smile.  
Demi smiled back, her shoulders relaxed, “Good morning, Santiago,” She stepped out and closed her door. For a moment before opening the door, she had been scared that Alec had come for her.  
They began their morning walk back to the kitchen. Demi remained silent throughout the walk, her mind still focused on Alec. She couldn’t believe she had just met him. She had thought she was safe when Santiago told her he was on a mission but apparently that was no longer the case. If Demi had known Alec was in the castle, she could have mentally prepared herself but she wasn’t given that opportunity and she didn’t react well to the unknown. Once Demi and Santiago made it to the kitchen, Demi immediately set off to cook her breakfast. Absentmindedly, Demi picked up the food she would need and began cooking – a bacon omelette. As she did so, Santiago watched her, concern in his eyes.  
“Is everything okay, Demi?” Santiago asked tentatively. He had noticed a shift in her behaviour and it worried him. Usually, Demi would be chatty and lively, but this wasn’t the case. He had noticed the change last night when she refused to leave her room. He had gone to Heidi for advice and she suggested to give Demi some space.  
For a moment, Demi faltered but she started up on cooking once more, “It’s nothing,” She didn’t want to worry Santiago because it was her own fault. Alec hadn’t done anything to her but she was panicking over nothing.  
Santiago frowned, “Was it mine and Felix’ sparring match?” For a moment, he was concerned that the fight had frightened her. His and Felix’ matches could get pretty intense but he thought the match to be tame. He had Felix had agreed not to do anything too extravagant in case they alarmed the Witch.  
“No!” Demi said quickly, whirling around to face him, “It wasn’t anything you did, I swear,” The sparring match had not scared her, in fact, it excited her. Even though she couldn’t discern who was who, it left her in a state of curiosity of who would be the winner. She was also given the opportunity to witness such speed and strength she knew was would never get again.  
Santiago slowly nodded his head, “So, what happened?” He inquired, pushing further. He wanted to know in case there was something he needed to do.  
Demi fell silent for a moment before she sighed, “Is anyone within hearing distance?” She looked around the room with a critical eye.  
Santiago shook his head, there was no Vampire nearby. Most Vampires had taken to staying away around the times Demi would use the kitchen. Only Felix and Jane had not followed this. Jane was not likely to repeat this but Felix was another story altogether. But, for now, they were safe to speak freely.  
“I met Alec yesterday in the library,” Demi said quickly.  
Santiago was silent for a moment before he cursed lowly under his breath. “Are you okay?” He asked, his eyes gleamed in concern. He knew he shouldn’t have left Demi alone, he should have escorted her to her room. Although Demi had never said it out loud, he knew she was scared of Alec and with good reason. Most members of the Guard were wary of Alec.  
Demi nodded her head, “He never did anything, he just appeared in front of me and then left,” As she spoke, she realised how odd it was. She had been so focused on her own fear that she hadn’t realised the action itself. Why had he left the library?  
Frowning, Santiago tried to hide his confusion but failed. Alec didn’t approach many people and if he did, there was usually a purpose. “Did he say anything?”  
Demi shook her head, “No,”  
The frown on his face deepened, “Did you say anything?”  
“No,” Demi answered. For once, she hadn’t said anything, she had just gasped. However, she wasn’t able to say anything because of the shock and fear and it made her wonder if she would have said anything.  
Santiago hummed in thought but mentally sighed in relief. After the experience with Jane, he hadn’t wanted Demi to say anything to Alec because then things wouldn’t have gone well at all. “How are you feeling?”  
Demi frowned, “Mostly scared… but also confused.”  
“Just as long as you’re okay,” Santiago smiled, “I wasn’t aware of him being in the castle until I saw Felix, but I presumed he wouldn’t approach you,” Alec liked to keep to himself and so Santiago had assumed that he would do just that. However, the Twins had proven to be unpredictable as of late and that unnerved him slightly.  
Demi waved him off, “I am fine. I will get over it, it was just the initial shock,” Now that she was aware he was in the castle, she could mentally prepare herself. She did hope that she wouldn’t have another run-in with him again and if she did, she hoped Santiago was nearby.  
Santiago glanced at his watch, “I am sorry to rush you, but we need to be heading off in a few minutes for a meeting,”  
“A meeting?” Demi blinked slowly. She had no idea what he was talking about. As far she was aware, she was meant to be free the entire day. She had planned to ask Santiago to take her sightseeing but it seemed as though this wouldn’t happen.  
“Yes,” Santiago smiled guilty, “I tried to tell you yesterday but…”  
Demi flushed at the memory. She had turned Santiago away after she had met Alec. Mentally, she cursed her reaction because if she had listened to Santiago, she would have been prepared for the meeting. Aware of the time frame, Demi scoffed down her breakfast, nearly chocking a few times before she washed the dishes. “Let’s go,” She said after she chugged down a glass of water.  
Attempting to hide his amusement, Santiago led the way to the throne room. Demi followed after him, silently preparing herself for the meeting, “What is this about?” She asked, wanting as much information as possible.  
“It is just a meeting to inform everyone of what is going to happen. You will just need to feedback what Camille said,” Santiago reassured.  
Demi nodded her head.  
It didn’t long before Santiago and Demi made it to the Throne Room. Demi hadn’t been in this room since she arrived nearly four days ago. Now that it was morning, the light filtered in and made the room look more regal than when it was dark. Aro, Caius and Marcus sat in their thrones whereas all the others stood adjacent to them, all lined up. Demi saw some familiar faces – some more friendly than others. Felix had a grin on his face, Demetri and Heidi appeared calm and collected and Heidi looked bored. Chelsea and Afton stood close together and seemed to be whispering to one another. Jane looked annoyed and Alec appeared void of any emotion.  
Upon spotting them, Aro smiled, “Ah, Demi. You’re just in time for the meeting,” He motioned for Demi to come forward and for a moment she hesitated.  
With a nudge from Santiago, Demi walked up to Aro and bowed her head slightly, “Thank you for inviting me,” Mentally, she was panicking. Had she made her and Santiago late? She hated arriving after everyone else because then people looked at her. Out of the corner of her eye, Demi noticed Santiago had taken his place alongside the other Guards and beside Felix.  
Aro reached out his hand, silently seeking permission to take her hand. Without hesitation, Demi took off her glove and grasped Aro’s hand in hers. Demi marvelled at the coldness of his hand and she waited to feel something. She waited for a few moments but she felt nothing, just like all the other times. A cold shiver shot down her spine when she felt eyes on her, someone was staring at her from behind and she was too scared to turn around to see who it was.  
Aro took away his hand and made a sound of delight, his eyes lit up in wonder, “I still do not hear anything,” Demi placed her glove back on and was about to move to stand with the other Guards when Aro stopped her, “You may stay up here as we speak,”  
Demi’s eyes widened a fraction but quickly reeled herself back in, “Of course,” Demi stood on Marcus’ side rather than Caius. She had seen Caius’ glare and sneer and decided that Marcus was the safest bet. As she took her place near Marcus, he gave no outward reaction and didn’t acknowledge her presence. Her green eyes swiftly looked around the room when she felt eyes on her once more. To her surprise, it was Alec that stared at her, his gaze never wavering even when she met his eyes and she quickly looked elsewhere. Sensing another gaze on her, Demi dared to peek and noticed that it was Jane, glaring at her with hatred in her eyes. Mentally, Demi cried out in despair and wished she was anywhere but there.  
Placing his hands together, Aro began, “We have met with Demi, the Blackthorn advocate and we made a plan. To investigate what has taken place, it has been decided that the assailants will be captured and interrogated.” He turned to look at Demi, waiting for her to back this up.  
Wetting her lips, Demi gathered up her courage and ignored her beating heart. “Consent has been given by the Leader of the Blackthorns.”  
“Demetri, you will visit Moscow and pick up the sent. Be ready to leave within the hour,” Aro said, his gaze trained on their tracker.  
Demetri bowed his head slightly in understanding.   
“May I add something?” Demi asked as she looked to Aro for permission before she said anything. When he nodded his head, Demi turned to Demetri, “When you visit Moscow, can I ask that you make sure no one sees you? Things are still very raw with the Russian Coven, especially Nina. I just don’t want any extra stress,” Her tone was soft and pleading. Camille had sent a text message, stating that Nina had given her consent for the Volturi to investigate – just barely. Demi had a feeling that anything could set Nina off and she would rather avoid that.  
For a moment, Demetri stared at her and then smiled slightly, “I will try my best,” He bowed his head slightly as a mark of respect.  
Demi relaxed and smiled widely, “Thank you,”  
“We will reconvene once the assailants have been brought in.” Aro said before he looked to everyone in the room, “That will be all,” At the dismissal, Jane stormed out of the room with Alec trailing behind her. Santiago, Demi and Felix left together, with Santiago guiding the Witch. Chelsea and Afton left, holding hands and Heidi and Demetri left speaking lowly with one another.  
Once they were alone, Marcus looked towards his brothers, “Aro,” He moved forward and stretched out his hand. Looking over, Aro blinked in surprise. Marcus didn’t speak often and would rather stay silent.  
Aro took Marcus’ hand in his, curious to know what he wanted to add. As soon as their hands touched, he was able to see in Marcus’ mind and he closed his mind to concentrate. The scene in Marcus’ mind was one from a few moments ago, but the focus was on Demi and Alec. Through his mind, Aro was able to see what had caused Marcus to speak up. After a few seconds, Aro opened his eyes and a large smile rolled on his face, “This is marvellous!”  
Caius frowned, “What did you see?”  
Letting go of Aro, Marcus floated back to his spot, not saying anything. Aro turned to his other brother, “The Witch is Alec’s mate,” Aro tipped his head back and laughed joyously. He had been waiting centuries for Alec to finally find his happiness and now he had.  
“What?!” Caius snarled angrily. He couldn’t understand why Aro thought this to be a good and happy occasion. This was terrible news, it would have been better if the Witch were a human instead.  
“It would seem Alec is aware of this connection whereas Demi is not,” Marcus explained lowly, his tone low and hollow. He had watched carefully when he spotted it. Through his power, he had seen the way Alec perked up when Demi entered the room and how his eyes lingered on her. However, Marcus was also made aware of how scared and nervous Demi was of the Volturi.  
“This is a disaster!” Caius roared.  
“This is wonderful!” Aro chimed in.  
Caius sent Aro a look of disbelief and anger. He could see that this wasn’t going to end well. Witches and Vampires did not mix at all. No one had ever met a Vampire and Witch mated pair before because they did not exist. Their ways were too different. It was unheard of, unnatural.  
“We must find a way to get them together,” Aro said, his eyes alight with excitement. It had been a while since one of his Guards had found their Mate. Chelsea and Afton were the first mated pair – she had arrived with him. Heidi and Demetri were their next mated pair – they had not been easy to get together due to Heidi’s reluctance. But, now Alec would join that list.  
“Are you mad? The Coven will never allow this!” Caius argued back. He knew that the moment the Blackthorn Coven heard about this, there would be an uproar. There was no way they would agree to this union.  
Aro waved him off, “We’ll cross that bridge when the time comes,”  
Caius rolled his eyes in annoyance, “Brother, why are you ignoring the implications? This match would be a disaster!”  
“Don’t you want Alec to be happy?” Aro asked with a frown. Ever since he had found Alec and Jane as humans, he had kept an eye on them because it had been a Witch that foresaw them in the Volturi. That Witch had prophesied how strong they would become as Vampires and how unique their gifts would be. Aro had found them when they very young and had decided to come back when they were older and more mature. However, he was lucky he even made it to them in time before the Villagers killed them when they had just turned seventeen. Ever since then, he had tried to make their eternal life enjoyable knowing how bad their mortal life had been.  
Caius glowered, “That’s not the point!” Even he could not deny that he had a soft spot for the Twins. They were the closest he and Athenodora would ever come to children and she adored them even more. When they had come to the Volturi, Alec and Jane had been lost and in pain and the Three Kings took them under their wing. For the first two hundred years, Jane has followed him around like a baby duckling and Alec never left her side, clinging to her. Nonetheless, his affections to the Twins did not nullify the implications of a union between a Witch and Vampire. “If the Witch is his Mate then this is serious!”  
Aro hummed in agreement. Caius was right, ominously right. When a Vampire met their Mate, nothing else mattered except for their safety and happiness. It was one of the most sacred things within the Vampire community to the point even they refused to get involved. For a Vampire to lose their Mate would shatter them completely – Marcus being the best example. Aro would have hated to see that happen to Alec and was determined to make sure it never did.  
“She doesn’t have long left here,” Marcus added.  
“Then we need to ensure she feels that connection with Alec. If she stays voluntary then the Blackthorn Coven could not object,” Aro said, a scheming smile rolled onto his face. For a moment, he considered using Chelsea to manipulate Demi’s feelings but he quickly dismissed that idea. For a Mate bond to be real, the emotions had to be real and no one could force or coerce anyone into it. If Alec found out about this, it would not end well and Aro would rather avoid that route.  
If Caius were human, he was sure a headache would have been coming on, “And how do you propose we do that?” He asked reluctantly. From experience, he knew Aro would not give on this as he was far too stubborn.   
The smile on Aro’s face got bigger, “I have a few ideas,”


	9. Chapter 9

Alec followed after Jane as she stormed away, furiously muttering under her breath but he paid little attention to the venom she spewed. Alec’s mind was entirely elsewhere – on his Mate. He had learned her name and it made his inner monster purr in pleasure. Demi. As soon as Demi had entered the room, his eyes had been on her, watching and observing her. He had wanted to rip Santiago’s arm off for touching his Mate but he held himself back – barely. He had sensed she was nervous and he had wanted to comfort her, reassure that everything was okay. Another thing about her that made his undead heart sing was that she cared so deeply about her own Coven and had spoken up for them, a trait he hadn’t witnessed in a Witch before. Alec quickly snapped out of his daze when he felt his sister’s heated glare on him. Quickly scanning his eyes around the room, he noticed they were back in his room.  
“Have you been listening to me?!” Jane hissed at him, her eyes ablaze in anger.  
“My mind was elsewhere,” Alec admitted easily.  
Jane huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. “Who does that Witch think she is? Telling Demetri what to do,” She stormed over to the window seat and sat down. Just thinking about the Witch made her angry.  
Irritation shot through him. Alec did not appreciate how much venom was being thrust in the direction of his Mate. “She doesn’t seem too bad,” He commented mildly. That was the understatement of the century but he knew this wasn’t something he could just drop on his sister suddenly.  
Jane scoffed, “How can you even say that? She is insufferable!” There is nothing she wanted more than to shut that Witch up. If Aro just gave her permission to show the Witch what pain truly felt like then maybe she would fear Jane.  
Alec bit back a growl that threatened to come out but luckily Jane hadn’t seemed to notice as she was too absorbed in her hatred. “She looks like a child who shouldn’t even be here! We don’t need her here anymore, she should be sent off home already and leave us in peace,” Jane huffed in anger, a dark scowl on her face.  
The thought of his Mate leaving did something to Alec. This time, he couldn’t hold back the snarl and he bared his teeth to Jane. This caused the small Vampire to freeze – Alec had never snarled at her before and she couldn’t understand what had happened.  
“Did you just snarl at me?” Jane hissed lowly, more shocked and hurt than anything.  
Astonishment filled Alec for a moment before he regained his composure. “Leave this petty hatred for Demi alone,” He said, his voice firm.  
“Petty?!” Jane echoed in outrage but then it dawned to her what he said and her eyes narrowed in suspicion. “You just called her by her name,”  
Alec fell silent for a moment, not understanding the issue, “And?”  
Jane stood from her seat and walked over to Alec and only stopped when she was in front of him. “You have never paid attention to the Witches that come here before. You have never referred to them as anything more than what they are. What has changed?” She stared at him as if trying to decipher a great mystery.  
Alec could not deny her words as they were true. He had never once paid attention to any Witches that came to the Volturi. Like most Vampires, he had ignored them as if they never existed. He would remain cordial because of the Treaty but that was as far as he went. Unlike his sister who despised Witches, he was indifferent to them. He held no hatred or fondness to their kind and remained neutral, something his sister could never understand.  
At this silence, Jane continued to think out loud. “You were also staring at her throughout the meeting…”  
Again, this was something he could not deny. If Alec were mortal, he was sure he would have started to sweat. Jane was getting closer to the truth the more she spoke and it worried him of what her reaction would be.  
“Don’t tell me you’re besotted with her as well?” Jane questioned, dread in her voice. The thought of her brother even having feelings for a Witch was painful.  
Alec purposely blinked slowly, “As well…?” The implication that someone else was interested in his Mate sent him reeling. The monster inside him roared in anger, demanding that he find this Vampire and tear them to pieces, something Alec had to push aside so he could find out more information.  
Not able to hear the war inside Alec’s mind, Jane continued while rolling her red eyes, “Felix has shown interest. He said that she is fun. He explained that when he met her, he picked her up and brought her to the training area and wasn’t scared,” When Jane had heard what Felix had done, she had wished he would have squashed the Witch but alas it didn’t happen. Even Santiago was being unreasonably kind to her. Every corner Jane turned, she would always hear how the Guards seemed to like the Witch.  
A deep growl vibrated from Alec’s chest as his eyes darkened. Felix could have harmed Demi and that thought alone nearly sent him into a frenzy. If what Jane said turned out to be true then he would be paying Felix a visit.  
Jane’s eyes snapped over to Alec in shock and she involuntarily took a step back at the sound. She had never heard Alec make that noise before. “What the hell is wrong with you?” She stared at him as if she expected him to answer.  
Alec said nothing as he tried to calm himself down. Jane had never seen Alec this angry before, there could have been a vague memory from when they were mortal but their human memories had begun to fade – hers had anyway. Realisation dawned on Jane. “She’s your Mate…” She had only ever seen one Vampire get like this before – so possessive and protective that it was borderline primal. It was when Demetri saw Heidi flirting with another Vampire – Edward Cullen – before they had mated with one another. Demetri had nearly killed Edward and had made the exact same sound. Jane had never seen Edward run so fast and it had been heavily amusing to watch but it made Jane wary of Heidi and her wellbeing.  
Alec said nothing and this confirmed her worst fears.  
“NO!” Jane screamed out, “I refuse to believe that! How can that be your Mate?!” A wave of explosive anger filled her at the thought of a Witch being her brother’s Mate. She had waited a long time for Alec to find his happiness just as she had waited for hers, but she refused to accept this. A human wouldn’t have been any better but why couldn’t it have been a Vampire.  
Alec bared his teeth and snarled, “Don’t you dare say anything about Demi!” He took a step forward and Jane took one back.  
Hurt flashed in Jane’s eyes but that was soon replaced with anger, “Are you threatening me? How about I go down and introduce the Witch to my powers?” A malicious grin rolled onto Jane’s face.  
Something snapped within Alec and in a flash, he had Jane pinned against the wall with his hand around her throat. “Touch her and you will regret it,” Alec hissed lowly, his eyes nearly black in rage. His grip on her throat wasn’t lethal but it was a clear warning to not push the matter any further.  
Jane stilled for a moment as she realised she had crossed a line. Aro and Caius had warned her about how strong the instinct was to protect their Mate. It would take president over everything else because with a Mate, they could find happiness. But to see it in action was another thing altogether. It was unnerving to see her brother so unhinged and she wondered if this would happen to her when she found her Mate.  
Slowly, Alec removed his hand from Jane’s throat when he felt she had received the message. Anger filled Jane once more as she shoved her brother away and stormed out of the room. Alec watched her go, remorse in his eyes. He hadn’t wanted her to find out this way but it was too late.

TWILIGHT 

Demi sat in her room with a book. She had been too scared to go back to the library so she had asked Santiago to pick her up some books and he had been happy to oblige. Santiago had told her that the library was open to anyone and she could borrow books at her leisure, just as long as they were all returned by the time of her leaving. He had picked her up eight books and Demi was already on her third book. She had far too scared to go back to the library especially after Santiago had warned her that Alec and Jane lived on the same floor. As much as it pained her, Demi had decided to stay away from the library for a while and this was something Santiago had agreed with. The books that he had picked up for her were exactly what she wanted – historical and heavily detailed. Demi was so engrossed in the book that she hadn’t realised that her phone was ringing.  
The phone stopped ringing for two minutes before it started up again with a vengeance. Demi raised her head when she thought she heard a noise. When she realised what it was, she dived up from the bed and grabbed the phone, answering it. “Hello?”  
“Demi! Are you okay? Why didn’t you answer me?” Camille asked, her voice very worried and filled with concern.  
Sitting back down on the plush bed, Demi smiled sheepishly, “Sorry about that Camille. I was just reading and I was too absorbed,” Any time Demi got stuck into a book she wouldn’t put it down until it was finished. She would ignore the whole world around her and it was something Camille was very aware of. The amount of time she had tried to call Demi down for a lesson was a nightmare.  
Camille hummed. “Just as long it was only that. I was worried something had happened to you,”  
“I am fine,” Demi lied slightly. She was fine, it was just meeting Alec had really thrown her off and she was scared of him but she would never admit this to Camille. If Camille found out that she had met Alec and Jane, she would have a fit because she had warned Demi about them two before she even came to the Volturi. “And besides, the magic in the earrings would tell you if I was in danger or not,” Subconsciously, Demi touched the earrings that Camille had put her magic into.  
“I know,” Camille sighed deeply, “I just can’t help but worry. You’ve never been away from us this long before…”  
Demi smiled, “I take it Lily is still raising hell?”  
Camille groaned over the line, “Like never before. She had a hunger strike yesterday and refused to eat until you came back. That lasted all of an hour before I offered her pancakes,” Camille laughed loudly as she remembered the other day.  
“Camille, you know she can’t have them too often,” Demi scolded lightly.  
“It’s all I know how to make!” Camille argued back, a whine in her voice. They both knew how abysmal Camille’s cooking skills were, hence why Demi had to take over or they would have starved. “It’s because of that Rhonda has been coming over more to help with the cooking,”  
Demi blinked slowly, “Rhonda can cook?”  
“Very well actually,” Camille admitted, “She doesn’t cook often, but when she does it’s amazing. Who do you think used to cook for us when you were younger?”  
Demi opened her mouth to answer but she stopped when she realised she had no idea. Looking back, she was surprised she had never queried this before. Camille’s cooking skills were very limited as well as basic and she was equally as bad with potions. Camille’s talents lay elsewhere – out of the kitchen. However, now that Demi thought about it, it made sense. Rhonda used to be around the house all of the time but she had never connected the dots that she was cooking for them. “Remind me to thank Rhonda because, without her, we would have more than likely starved.” Demi eventually said with a fond smile.  
Camille cackled in agreement on the line.  
“How is the apology letter from Nina coming along?” Demi asked after Camille had stopped laughing. She had been waiting for this letter to arrive soon so the issue could be settled. She didn’t need that extra added stress and she had a feeling Caius was getting impatient and it made her nervous.  
This caused Camille to groan once more, “It’s been a pain. Any letter Nina has sent me to approve has not been good. She is still blaming them but in a passive-aggressive manner.”  
“They’re going to be expecting one soon. What’s going to happen if the letter still isn’t ready?” Demi asked as she dreaded to think what would happen. If no letter arrived in the next couple of days, she and Camille would look like lairs, something Aro certainly didn’t like. Demi had a strong suspicion that she was on Aro’s good side but she didn’t know how long that would last.  
“I don’t know,” Camille admitted, “We may need to offer them something in return for this. I’ll think of something,”  
Demi hummed in thought, agreeing with her. This mistake could not be left unchecked because the Volturi did not forget anyone who has scorned them. Caius has never fully trusted Witches to begin with so Demi had to contend against that. Luckily, Aro seemed to be understanding of Nina’s situation and without that, the situation would be pretty dire. It did make her wonder what Marcus’ position was – whether he despised Witches like Caius or would be fond of them like Aro. He was so silent and mysterious that she couldn’t read him at all.   
“How has your fire powers been?” Camille asked.  
Looking down at her gloves, Demi answered with a smile. “They have been fine. The gloves have really been working. No episodes at all,” She felt very proud of this and it delighted her that she could report back no incidents. There had been one minor moment when her gifts had flared up but the gloves had controlled it. Due to the explosive and unpredictable nature of the fire element, Camille had given her the repressors and as she got older, the worse the powers got and so Camille had given her more.  
“That’s a relief,” Camille says, her tone light, “I was worried for a moment you may have blown up the castle!” She said jokingly as she cackled.  
Demi laughed with her but it was forced and there was no real heart in it. Camille’s words had stung more than she expected – like she had freezing cold water splashed over her. Did Camille believe her to have that little control over her power? Demi had thought she was doing well and even though Camille was joking, it still upset her. “I’m sorry Camille, but I’ve got to go. I’ll speak to you soon, okay.”  
“Oh… that’s fine. Take care!” Camille said before Demi hung up.  
Sighing deeply, Demi placed the phone back on the desk before she laid down on the bed. Usually, she didn’t hang up on Camille and they typically would have sat there and spoken for ages, but she wasn’t feeling up to it. Demi knew that Camille didn’t mean it when she took digs at her control but it still hurt her. Camille didn’t understand the daily struggle that Demi went through with her powers. Every day, Demi had to release some of her powers otherwise it built up and if she didn’t then it was harder to contain. The longest she had gone without expelling was six days and currently, Demi had not used her powers in three days and she already felt the build-up. Her body sung to release some fire but she refrained. She mentally chanted in her head that it wasn’t time, it wasn’t safe and her fire argued back by her bones aching. Demi eyed the dead fireplace, her fire hummed to be free but she refused. The fireplace was large but it would require more control and she didn’t want to risk setting anything else on fire in the room. She would need open space where she didn’t fear setting things alight.  
Demi snapped out of her thoughts when there was a knock on her door. Presuming that it was Santiago, Demi stood up and opened the door with no hesitation but froze when she realised that it wasn’t Santiago that stood on the other side. Alec stood before her, his red eyes watching her. She felt like her heart was in her throat and it was difficult to breathe all of a sudden.  
“W-where is S-Santiago?” Her voice was barely above a whisper as it was all she could manage. Her grip on the door tightened as it was the only thing that kept her tethered to reality.  
Alec frowned and this made Demi’s heart skip a beat, “Aro has requested Santiago leave with Demetri for the mission. I am your new guide,”  
Demi suppressed a shudder. His voice, oh dear god his voice. It was low, smooth and very pleasing to the ear which confused her greatly. It took her a few moments to realise what he had said. “Y-you’re my guide?”  
Alec nodded his head.  
Everything became too much. This was too much and she couldn’t handle it anymore. Dark spots filled her vision and her grip on the door faltered. The ground slipped from below her and she felt herself plummet to the ground. Vaguely, she saw a panicked look on Alec’s face as he dived for her and then she knew no more.

TWILIGHT 

Demi groaned as she felt herself come back to reality. As she laid there, she felt confused as to what happened. She immediately recognised that she was lying on her bed – there was no way she could misplace the softness of the mattress. But, Demi didn’t remember going to bed and the light that invaded her closed eyes indicated that it was not night time. She knew she was still in her day clothing and not her PJs because she could feel the scratchy material of her dress and instantly knew that something wasn’t right. Opening her eyes, Demi scanned her room. When she saw a figure sat at her desk, she froze but then she realised it was just Heidi and not Alec as she had feared.  
Noticing that she was awake, Heidi smiled, “How are you feeling biscuit?” She asked as she stood up gracefully. She walked over to Demi’s bed and sat down next to the Witch.  
“I’ve had better days,” Demi admitted shamefully. She knew she had passed out and embarrassment filled her being, of all the Vampires she had been weak in front of, it had to Alec. Demi cursed her luck, she had got overwhelmed and her body had given out on her.  
“I can tell,” Heidi hummed, “Drink this,” She handed Demi a glass of water which she took gratefully. Demi gulped down the water, not caring that Heidi could hear every gulp because she was so thirsty. She didn’t realise how parched she was until she had the water and it made her realise she had neglected to drink much that day. Restraining her fire was also taking a huge toll on her and she hadn’t realised how big the strain was until now.  
“Thank you,” Demi said as she handed the now empty glass back.  
Heidi took the glass and placed it on the bedside table. “You gave us quite a scare, biscuit,” She said with a concerned look in her red eyes.  
Demi flushed, “I’m sorry...” She looked around the room in case there was no anyone else in the room and spotted no one else. “What happened to Alec?” She didn’t want to know the answer but at the same time, she did. Alec had been the last thing she saw before she passed out and she wasn’t sure what happened afterwards.  
Heidi smiled in amusement, “He came and got me to check on you." She had been setting up more trips for humans to come for ‘tours’ of the castle when Alec had burst into her room. He had demanded that she follow him and usually, she wouldn’t have been pleased but then she noticed the wild gleam in his eyes. Alec was usually composed and unruffled, but at that moment he looked downright vexed and that had made Heidi concerned. Heidi had thought something had happened to Jane but when Alec led her to Demi’s bedroom that had set Heidi off. When she arrived, Demi was on her bed and Alec had fled the room demanding for Heidi to make sure Demi was okay.  
“Where you the one that carried me to the bed?” Demi asked hopefully.  
“No, that was all Alec,” Heidi answered as she shook her head.  
The flush on Demi’s face darkened considerably. The thought of Alec carrying her to bed made her heart clench with nerves. It surprised her, she had thought he would have left her on the floor but then she remembered his frightened face as she passed out. However, that whole scene brought on more questions than answers – why had he been so panicked?  
Heidi frowned in concern and placed her cold hand on Demi’s forehead, “Are you sure you’re okay? You feel warm,”  
Demi nearly sighed in contentment when Heidi’s cold hand touched her forehead contrasting to her warm skin. “I’m fine. I just got overwhelmed,” Demi sat up in the bed and leaned against the headboard of the canopy bed. Demi wasn’t concerned about her temperature, she ran at a higher temperature than normal people because of her fire powers. Holding in her powers wouldn’t help that situation either, in fact, she was expecting her temperature to rise soon if she didn’t expel some fire.   
Humming in thought, Heidi retracted her hand. “Do you want to hear something interesting?” A large smirk rolled onto her face and at that moment, she reminded Demi of a cat.  
“Sure?” Demi said, unsure whether she wanted to hear what Heidi had to say. However, she could sense that Heidi was trying to distract her and that’s something she heavily appreciated.  
“The word around the castle is Jane and Alec had a fight,” Heidi said, her voice lower as if she was sharing a secret even though they knew the room was soundproof.  
Demi frowned, “Okay. How is that interesting?” As far as she was concerned, it was normal to fight with siblings. She didn’t have any, but she had heard plenty of stories from Camille about how the other children in Coven fought. However, she has fought with Lily, though they were mostly small and petty arguments, like when she wouldn’t let Lily have pancakes.  
Heidi shot her a confused look, “Don’t you get it? They have never fought or had an argument, ever.” The Twins had always been attached to one another since they came to the Volturi. If anyone saw one twin, the other one wouldn’t be too far behind unless Aro sent one of a mission.  
“Never?” Demi repeated in surprise, “What was it about?”  
Nonchalantly, Heidi shrugged her shoulders, “Who knows. All we know is that they aren’t speaking with one another which is unusual.” It had been Chelsea who had picked up on this issue and had whispered it to Afton near Felix and Demetri so now nearly everyone in the castle knew about it. Felix, Demetri and Afton had placed bets as to what had happened and they were all waiting to see what would happen next.  
Demi fell silent as she thought about this. Her thoughts soon strayed to Alec and her heart rate picked up in fear. The thought of seeing him again made the hairs on her arms stand on end.  
Heidi frowned as she picked up on Demi’s accelerated heartrate, “Are you scared of him?”  
Knowing that Heidi was listening to her heartrate made her more nervous, “…Yes?” She answered, almost unsure whether she should answer this or not. However, the answer was obvious. Demi was a Witch and belonged to the Blackthorn Coven, of course, she was scared of Alec because of his reputation. Camille had been very explicit in her warning to stay away from Alec as well as Jane.  
Heidi giggled slightly as she played with a strand of loose hair, “I can understand that fear. I was scared of him too when I first came to the Volturi but that went away. He’s not as bad as you think,”  
Demi openly gaped at her. For a moment, she thought Heidi to be mad but she soon regained her composure. However, she thought back to her last two encounters with Alec. He hadn’t actually done anything to her. From what she had been told by her Coven, Alec would sooner tear heads of shoulders than listen to reason. Then, there were the accounts of surviving Witches who fought against the Volturi and they were not pleasant to read. They were gruesome and detailed to the point Demi felt like she was in the battle.  
Heidi continued to speak, unaware of Demi’s inner turmoil. “I have been with the Volturi for nearly three hundred years and I have never seen Alec react like that.” Out of the Twins, Jane was the more likely one to react emotionally whereas Alec always remained unperturbed. It had unnerved her to see Alec respond in such a way as she wasn’t used to it.  
Demi blinked slowly at this piece of information, she had no idea Heidi had been with the Volturi that long. “What do you mean?”  
Heidi pressed her plump lips together before she answered. “Nothing. Anyway, I’ll leave you to rest.” Heidi stood up and winked at Demi before she left the room.  
Demi watched Heidi go, confusion written on her face. Shrugging her shoulders, Demi stood up and decided to make some potions to pass the time before dinner time.

TWILIGHT

Heidi walked down the hallway and only stopped when she felt piercing eyes on her. “You know, you can ask how she is.” She said as she didn’t bother to turn around. She knew who was behind her from his scent alone.  
Alec stepped out from the shadows, “And why would I even care?” He asked, his voice indifferent but Heidi knew better.  
She turned around sent him a critical glance, her brow arched a perfectly, “You can’t fool me, Alec. I have never seen you act like that before.” She felt confident in her assessment of Alec and knew it would take something big to make him react in such a manner that was rare for him.  
For a moment, Alec said nothing. His red eyes scanned the perimeter and Heidi knew that he was scouting to make sure no one was listening in. “How is she?” He asked lowly only when he was sure no Vampires were nearby to eavesdrop.  
A soft smile stretched on her face, “She’s fine. She just needs to remember to drink more.” It had been a long time since Heidi had been human, but she remembered the days where she went without and passed out as a result. They were more frequent than she would have liked, but she and her family had been extremely poor and little could have been done about it.   
Alec nodded his head and his tensed shoulders relaxed ever so slightly, but enough for Heidi to notice.  
“She’s your Mate, isn’t she?” Heidi guessed.  
Alec faltered for a moment and sent Heidi a bewildered look. He hadn’t expected for her to click on so soon. “How?”  
Heidi laughed, amusing danced in her red eyes, “Oh Alec. You forget that it wasn’t too long ago Demetri and I found out we were Mates,” In reality, it was nearly three hundred years ago when she first joined the Volturi. However, three hundred years was nothing as an immortal being. She had felt the bond immediately with Demetri but didn’t want to admit it because she didn’t want to be tied down. But, she soon began to appreciate being tied down – in more ways than one.  
Alec’s form deflated and he nodded his head, “Yes. She is my Mate,” It felt great to be able to admit it out loud and not be judged as he had been with Jane. However, Alec knew that Heidi would not judge him because she had experienced it.  
Heidi’s eyes lit up at this news, “That’s wonderful! Congratulations!” Inwardly, she was laughing. The Guards had placed a bet on which Twin would find their Mate first and Heidi had placed her money on Alec. Chelsea, Afton and Demetri had assumed that Jane would be the first to find her mate, but her, Felix and Santiago had bet on Alec and it had paid off.  
“Thank you,” Alec said, a small smile rolled onto his face.  
“Just a heads up,” Heidi said, “At the moment, she is scared of you.” She felt the need to share this so Alec could work on his, but she had a feeling he already knew this.  
Hurt flashed in Alec’s eyes at the reminder. The thought of his Mate being scared of him hurt him more than he thought possible.  
“But that’s not your fault,” Heidi added quickly, “I think her Coven may have something to do with it. You know what Witches say about us behind our backs. Who knows what she’s been told about us.” There were bundles of rumours about the Volturi, some true and others were completely false. Heidi had heard some of them and they were not pleasant or flattering and it often cast them in a hostile light.  
“Do you have any advice?” He asked awkwardly. He wasn’t used to asking people for support or advice. If he did, then he would usually seek out his sister but they weren’t on speaking terms at this time.  
Heidi smiled softly, “Just try and prove those rumours wrong. Don’t push her otherwise there might be another incident like today,” Demi reminded Heidi of a kitten – one that was skittish of any loud noises or fast movements.  
Alec stiffly nodded his head, “Okay,”  
Satisfied, Heidi walked away feeling as though she had just accomplished something. She hoped that everything went well with those two. It was about time another Guard managed to find their Mate as it had been so long since it had last happened.


	10. Chapter 10

Sunlight streamed into Demi’s room as her fourth day in Volterra arrived. Demi groaned when the sun hit her eyes as she felt sleep leave her. She didn’t want to get up from the bed since she was too comfortable to move but she knew she couldn’t stay there forever. She was very tempted to ask Aro if she could keep the mattress after the visit was over because she did not want to ever leave this bed behind. Demi yawned as she rubbed her eyes, getting rid of the sleep in her eyes she stretched like a cat before she sat up in bed. Blinking slowly, Demi looked around her room before she shuffled to the edge of the bed to get out. Once she was up, she headed over to the bathroom and began her morning routine.  
Thirty minutes later, Demi was done and she examined herself in the mirror. Today, she wore a white blouse, a black pencil skirt with black tights and black flats. She had looked longingly at her casual clothing but knew better than to pick them up. She needed to look professional at all times since the Volturi seemed to always dress like they just got off a runway. Demi applied a light layer of makeup and left her uncontrollable hair alone after yanking a brush through it. As Demi examined herself in the mirror, she couldn’t help but notice her flushed complexion. Her temperature was rising to a point where Demi felt the dramatic difference, she could feel the heat in her stomach and chest. She needed to expel some of her fire soon otherwise it wasn’t going to be pretty. Her fire sung for release and Demi had to once again deny herself. She was determined to go sightseeing where she could get that chance to expel safely. At this thought, her fire stopped singing as this promise had calmed it down.  
A knock on the door snapped Demi out of her thoughts. Nervously, Demi walked over to the door because she knew who it was going to be. As she opened the door, she immediately spotted Alec, whose red eyes seemed brighter that day.  
“Good morning,” Alec greeted with a blank expression.  
Swallowing thickly, Demi clenched the door tightly, “G-good morning,” She whispered softly. She was determined not to faint this time around. She would rather not relive that humiliating moment. After what happened last night, Demi had refused to leave her room even to come down and cook. However, around dinner time, there had been a knock on her door and when Demi opened it – after nearly ten minutes of trying to build up the nerve – there was a tray of freshly cooked food waiting for her. Demi had looked around but hadn’t seen anyone and so she took the food and ate it hungrily. She had been starving and the food had been absolutely divine. She hoped that it was Heidi that cooked the food but suspected it wasn’t.   
Alec nodded at the greeting and motioned down the hall, “This way,” He said as he walked away at a human pace.  
Closing her door behind her, Demi followed Alec and was surprised when he fell in step with her. She had expected him to walk ahead of her so when he didn’t she was surprised. However, she didn’t know how to feel about this. Demi tried her hardest to calm down her heart rate but it refused and it made her even more nervous because she knew Alec could hear it. Due to her panic, Demi didn’t notice they weren’t heading in the direction of the kitchen and when she did, she looked around confused.  
Taking a deep breath, Demi mentally hyped herself to ask the question that was on her mind. She could do this, it was a simple question. “A-aren’t we headed to the kitchen?” Demi asked quietly, mentally cheering when she only stuttered once.  
Having expected this question, Alec shook his head. “No, we’re having a meeting this morning. Demetri and Santiago brought back the attacker and Aro wants to begin the interrogation as soon as possible.”  
For a moment, Demi was disappointed that she wasn’t going to get fed until after the meeting. However, when his words registered she was filled with excitement. They had managed to track down one of the attackers and Santiago was back. Demi hoped that it meant Santiago would be her guide again.  
The rest of the walk was mostly in silence. Demi made a visible effort not to breathe too loudly and tried to walk lighter when she heard her flats almost stomping the ground. She would spare Alec a few shy glances but his gaze was trained in front of him. There was one occasion he nearly caught her gaze and she quickly looked away, mentally praying that he hadn’t caught her. However, what Demi didn’t see was the edge of Alec’s lips twitch in an almost smile. After a few minutes, Alec and Demi arrived at the Throne Room and walked in.  
The sight that greeted Demi was one she did not expect. Aro, Caius and Marcus were sat in their thrones and a few feet away from them was a Vampire she had not seen before. He was a small Vampire with black hair and dark red eyes. His clothing was tattered and bloody with his shoes falling to pieces. The Vampire was being held down by both Felix and Santiago and each had a hold of the Vampire’s arms. Felix had a hold on the Vampire’s hair and forced him to look in the direction of the Three Kings. At the edge of the room stood the remaining Guards, their eyes trained on the enemy Vampire as if waiting orders to pounce.  
Aro was the first to spot them, “Ah, Demi. Demetri and Santiago’s hunting has proven successful.” He motioned for Alec to stand with the other Guards, but Alec hesitated for a moment before he followed his orders and stood by Jane – who didn’t look too happy to see Alec.  
“That’s great.” Demi said as she flashed a smile in Demetri’s direction, “But where is the other one?” As far as she was aware, there were two attackers that night but only one was in the castle – which she could see. It made her curious to know what happened to the second one. Surely, Demetri couldn’t have failed in his mission.  
Demetri answered this, “The second attacker is dead. We found the body in pieces and they were already burned,” He scowled when he relayed this information. When he had picked up the scents, it had been very easy to find them. However, he had noticed that one scent was different, staler and less vibrant compared to the other scent. Both Vampire hadn’t covered their tracks well and so it was very easy to locate their targets.  
Santiago nodded his head in agreement. He couldn’t deny he had been disappointed in their finding of the second Vampire but they managed to get the other attacker nonetheless.  
“Regardless, thank you,” Demi said gratefully. She knew that it was an incredibly easy job for Demetri but she was still thankful. It meant that the Russian Coven could get justice and Adrian’s death could be avenged.  
Demetri nodded his head at the thanks and Heidi smiled widely.  
“Now, there is just a small matter of what to do with him. Will the Blackthorns deal with him, or will the Volturi,” Aro said as he clapped his heads together to gain everyone’s attention. He stared down at the attacker with a thoughtful expression. He had not touched the Vampire and he was very curious to know what was happening inside his mind but he has refrained out of respect until a decision was made.  
At the mention, the Vampires struggled, only to be held down by Santiago and Felix. Felix hissed something lowly and the Vampire stilled.  
Caius scowled, “Well obviously he is ours. Demetri caught him,”  
Aro hummed in thought, “Yes, but it is the Blackthorns that have suffered,” He then turned to Demi, “What do you think?”  
Demi opened her mouth to agree with Aro but she stopped herself. Aro’s words were right, the Blackthorns had suffered greatly, and a Warlock and four Witches had been killed. That also didn’t take into account the other seven Witches that were injured during the attack. If they were abiding by the Treaty, justice belonged to the Blackthorns and the Volturi would have no choice but to back down if she claimed it. On the other hand, Demi remembered Nina’s blunder and how no letter had been sent as of yet. It was likely that if a letter did arrive, it would be too late and Camille had said they may need to exchange something to smooth over the situation. This was the perfect opportunity to amend any damage but this was a big decision for her to make. “Thank you for mentioning that Aro,” Demi said slowly, her mind made up. “And I would like to offer this opportunity to the Volturi. Think of this as the apology for Nina’s indiscretion and lack of apology letter. Will that compensate for this?” Usually, these types of decisions would need the approval of the Leader, but there wasn’t the time for that. As she was the only Blackthorn present and available, Demi had to be the one to make the decision. She has already decided that she would deal with the consequences later.  
Aro’s eyes lit up at this and he turned to his brothers and whispered to each other. Caius sent Demi a glare as he hissed his thoughts into the conversation and Marcus stayed quiet. Demi tried not to let this affect her in any way but she couldn’t deny she was nervous. She had taken a leap of faith and now she hoped it would pay off. After a few more seconds, Aro turned back to Demi, “Thank you, Demi, the offer is very much appreciated and surprising. We will accept this exchange and forget Nina’s transgression.”  
Demi nearly sighed in relief but she stopped herself, instead, she nodded her head. “Thank you,”  
Turning back to the attacker, Aro pondered. “Now, what shall we do with you?” His red eyes searched the attacker’s face as if trying to discern if there was any guilt but he found none. Making up his mind, Aro walked forward to the attacker and touched his face with his right hand. Aro stood still for a few moments before he stepped back, a deep frown on his face.  
“What is it, brother?” Caius asked.  
“I can only partially read his mind.” Aro answered unhappily, “Something is blocking me. All I was able to see was his name – Ajax.”  
At the mention of his name, Ajax glared at Aro with hatred in his eyes. As if sensing this, Felix’s grip on Ajax tightened as he yanked his head back. Ajax snarled at the movement but shut up when Alec and Jane shifted into sight, his eyes widened in fear, something that caused Jane to smirk when she recognised his fear. Alec’s face remained impassive, but his gaze lingered on Demi for a moment.  
Demi frowned at this news. She had never heard of anyone being able to hide their mind from Aro – let alone a Vampire. She was the only exception thus far but there was something about Ajax that unsettled her. She hadn’t commented on it, but she could see smugness in his eyes as if he was proud that Aro couldn’t read his mind. Even when Aro touched him, Ajax seemed too relaxed as if he had expected this outcome. Typically, every Vampire feared Aro’s power because they could hide nothing from him but it seemed things were changing.  
“Why did you attack the Blackthorn Coven in Moscow?” Caius demanded as he stood up from his throne.  
Ajax smirked, “I had my reasons,” His accent was thick and sounded Greek. It took Demi a few moments to realise what he had said and it left her unimpressed.  
“If you’re not willing to answer then we will make you willing,” A smirk crawled onto Aro’s angelic face which only served to make him look dangerous. “Chelsea,” Aro instructed.  
Stepping forward, Chelsea watched Ajax for a moment, assessing how much work she would need to do. After a few seconds, Chelsea frowned, “I would not work, My Lord.”   
“What?” Caius demanded.  
Chelsea turned to face them, “I cannot break his ties to his Coven, whoever they may be. The bonds he has are too strong to break.” There were some limitations to her powers and they were all aware of that. She could not break the bonds between family and people who thought of each other as family. She could not split up or bring together Mates and she could not see the bonds between people. That was Marcus’ job.  
Aro turned to face Marcus who merely shook his head, agreeing with Chelsea’s words. Marcus could see how loyal Ajax was to his Coven as he thought of them to be his family. Aro knew he had no other choice to move on. “Heidi,” Aro looked to the ‘Fisher’ of the group.  
Walking into the middle of the room, Heidi swayed her hips and smiled seductively at Ajax. She knew what Aro wanted of her, and it was to use her powers of attraction of coax the information from him. Ajax watched with cautious eyes and seemed to try and move back when she got close to him. Demi watched this interaction with a keen eye, not missing anything.  
“Hello, sugar,” Heidi purred lowly. Her voice was like silk and it almost made Demi fall to her knees but she resisted.  
Demetri scowled darkly but gave no other reaction. He hated it when his Mate’s powers were used like this because he hated seeing her flirt with anyone but him. Heidi was extremely beautiful and everyone knew it.  
Ajax flinched back but otherwise gave no outward reaction.  
Frowning, Heidi watched him. Usually, her powers worked especially when she was trying to attract people. If she wasn’t trying, her powers could be easily beaten, but never when she was actually trying. There was only one exception to her powers and that Mates. She could not attract anyone who was already mated. “He is mated, my Lords.” Seeing as there was no use of her anymore, Heidi walked back where she had been moments ago, with Demetri.  
With a frown, Aro motioned to Jane, whose eyes lit up at the prospect of using her powers. She gracefully walked over to stand by Aro’s side and awaited her orders.  
The moment he saw Jane, Ajax tensed and his eyes tightened. He visibly gulped and he attempted to struggle but he could not move an inch under the hold of both Felix and Santiago. Felix and Santiago looked at one another before they tightened their hold on Ajax, causing cracks to echo in the room as Ajax’s skin was fractured from the pressure. Ajax cried out in pain and stilled where he was, refusing to move anymore.  
Demi flinched at the sound but otherwise gave no other reaction. She didn’t notice as Alec sent her a concerned glance, but Jane did and it caused her to scowl darkly. Demi had never heard the sound of skin breaking before on a Vampire it was an unsettling sound, to say the least.  
“This is your last chance to confess,” Aro warned.  
Ajax looked up to Aro and spat venom, “Fuck you,”  
Caius motioned for Jane to begin and so she did. Jane stepped forward and smirked, “This will hurt a lot.” She looked him directly in the eyes and watched as her gift took hold. The effect was instantaneous. The moment Jane stopped speaking, Ajax started to scream. His loud screams bounced off the stone walls and created an echo that chilled Demi to her very core. Ajax’s body writhed under the hold of Felix and Santiago, their strength never wavering even as his body retched and convulsed.   
Demi watched in morbid fascination. She had heard many stories about Jane’s power of pain illusion but she had never seen it in action before. It was seeing this power in person that Demi fully realised why Jane was one of the most feared Vampires in the world. Demi thought that she would have more of an issue with seeing another person being tortured but she found she had no complaints. In Demi’s mind, Ajax deserved what he was getting.  
“Stop,” Caius ordered.  
Jane stopped her power and watched with a smirk as Ajax slumped forward, not able to hold himself up anymore. He breathed unnecessarily, his chest moving up and down at a fast pace as if he was trying to calm himself down from the pain.  
“Feeling ready to talk?” Caius asked with a smug smirk.  
Saying nothing, Ajax glared at Caius with hatred in his darkened eyes.  
Caius motioned for Jane to continue and she was more than happy. Jane looked at Ajax once more and his screaming commenced. However, this time the screams were different, they were even louder than before and filled with agony. Jane had turned up the pain illusion, a unique aspect to her gift where she could manipulate the level of pain a person went through. Ajax’s struggled even more than before as he tried desperately to get away or to stop the burning pain but Felix and Santiago’s grip was too strong.  
“Enough,” Caius ordered when he became annoyed by the Vampire’s screams of pain. He had every intention of letting Jane continue this endeavour but he rather liked the build-up. If he gave the Vampire some respite he would fear the pain even more, especially when Jane dialled up the pain.  
Jane stopped her assault with minimal disappointment. As she had delivered the pain, she had imagined the Witch in the Vampires place and it has brought her a lot of satisfaction.  
“Talk, or we will kill you,” Caius threatened.  
Ajax looked up at him, his face tired from all the pain, “You’re going to kill me anyway. What is the point?”  
Caius snarled at the disrespect but held himself back from ripping off the Vampire’s arms.  
Demi watched as Ajax smirked and this unsettled her. Ajax looked around the room and caught her eyes. “I suggest you run Witch before they kill you.” Demi stiffened under his darkened gaze. She could feel the bloodlust rolling off him in waves and it unnerved her. She knew that if he had a chance, he would drain her of blood within seconds. She was all too aware of how tempting Witch blood was to Vampires.  
A loud hiss filled the air as Alec took a step towards Ajax, his eyes darkened in anger.  
Ajax laughed with a sardonic smile, “We all know that this Treaty is bullshit.” As quick as lightning, he had managed to throw Santiago off him and attempted to dart in the direction of Demi. It all happened so fast that it was basically over by the time Demi blinked twice and her heart going ten to a dozen. Her palms heated up instantly, her fire ready to defend her but it was stopped when the gloves neutralised the fire, something her fire was not happy about. A vulgar snarl filled the air as Alec appeared in front of her, his back facing her and completely shielding her from Ajax. Santiago had managed to regain his hold on Ajax and both he and Felix redoubled their efforts. Luckily, Felix had managed to keep a stronghold on Ajax but had nearly ripped off his arm when he had attempted to attack Demi.  
“I think that will be enough for today,” Aro announced with a severe expression, “Take him down to the dungeons. We will continue this at a later date,” It was obvious they weren’t going to get anything from the first session but there was more to come.  
Demi watched Felix and Santiago took Ajax down to the dungeons as her heart rate calmed down. There was a side door that Demi had noticed but had commented on before. She was well aware of the dungeons under the castle, where Vampires could be held for up to one hundred years without any blood for their insubordination.  
Alec spared her a glance, “Are you okay?”  
Not able to say anything, Demi nodded her head instead. For a moment, she couldn’t believe what had just transpired. The adrenaline coursed through her body and it only worsened the situation with her fire. Her fire demanded some release and Demi was having a hard time telling her fire no. She needed to expel some fire and soon.  
Aro sighed unnecessarily, “Well that was disappointing. However, on a lighter note, we will be hosting a ball in three days’ time. I hope you can attend?” He asked as he looked specifically at Demi.  
“I-I don’t have a dress,” Demi blurted out.  
Aro waved dismissively, “That can be easily fixed. Alec, take Demi into town and buy her a dress. Think of it as an apology for what just happened,” The smile he sent was blinding and it dazzled Demi to the point where she couldn’t refuse.

TWILIGHT 

Around thirty minutes later, Alec and Demi walked into the underground car park in silence. They had made a detour to the kitchen so Demi could have a quick breakfast which was she was very grateful about because she was starving. Now that she was full, Demi’s mind was reeling from what had happened in the Throne Room and it concerned her. She wasn’t sure if her life had been in danger and she hoped the earrings didn’t send a message to Camille about it either. The last thing she needed was Camille demanding she come home when things weren’t settled yet. Demi snapped out of her thoughts when she realised Alec had stopped walking and stood in front of a car. When Demi’s eyes landed on the car, her eyes widened.  
“Holy hell, that’s a nice car,” Demi said as she stared at the silver Aston Martin. It was gorgeous and looked as if it had never been used. She had thought the car Heidi drove in was amazing but this car beat that one by far.  
Alec faintly smirked, “Thank you. Do you like cars?”  
Demi flushed a deep red colour when she realised she had said that out loud. “T-they’re okay… I guess.” At this point, she wanted the ground to swallow her whole but it seemed as though that wasn’t going to happen. Instead, she walked over to the car to get this trip over with.  
Alec’s smirked widened as he walked over and opened the door for her before she even had the chance to do this herself. Demi’s eyes widened as she hadn’t expect this. She muttered a thank you before she got in the car and watched as Alec softly closed the door after her before he flashed and was now in the driver’s seat. Demi jumped slightly at this sudden movement but otherwise said nothing.   
The drive was mostly silent and this helped for Demi to calm her nerves but it also allowed for her fire to hum loudly. She felt like her body was vibrating and it became very hot, even for her. Demi could feel herself start to sweat and she mentally groaned. Since she had left it for this long, when she did expel her fire it was going to have to be substantial. Without saying anything, Alec reached over as he drove and turned on the AC. Demi nearly sighed in relief when she felt the cold air in the car and it relaxed her. But, then a wave of embarrassment hit her as she realised Alec must have felt the heat coming off her. Demi wanted to groan out loud but she held herself back because she didn’t want to look like a fool in front of him – any more than she already did.  
“I’m sorry for what happened back there,” Alec said, his voice low. “I hope that Vampire didn’t scare you.” His grip on the wheel tightened significantly to the point Demi thought he was going to break it.  
Demi swallowed nervously, “I am fine. I just wasn’t expecting it…” It was an ill-advised move what Ajax did and one that she did not appreciate. However, even if he had gone for her, Alec had jumped in front of her and that confused her more than anything. She wanted to ask him why he did that but she couldn’t find the courage to ask the question.  
“That’s good,” Alec said, his grip on the wheel loosening.  
Nothing more was said as they drove into the city. Alec found a suitable place to park and then turned to Demi. “Take this and buy whatever you need. When you’re done, come back to the car and we can leave,” He handed her a sleek black card from his jacket pocket and Demi stared at it incredulously.  
“I can buy things myself,” Demi tried to argue back. However, this was a lie. She hadn’t had the chance to grab her purse but she didn’t want him to know that.  
Alec shook his head. “It’s my treat. Think of it as an apology for what happened yesterday,” He grinned faintly.  
The flush on Demi’s darkened to the point she nearly resembled a strawberry. She had wanted to forget about that happened yesterday but it seemed as though that wasn’t going to happen. “You caught me off guard,” She knew that this argument was weak but it’s all she had and she was sticking with it.  
Shaking his head, Alec handed her the card and she had no choice but to accept. She was about to ask if joining but then she noticed how strong the sunlight was. There was no way Alec could be seen by people as it would risk exposing his identity. Demi couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed but she pushed that aside and opened the door to go and explore the city for some formal wear.  
Alec watched her go with a frown. He wished he could join her but the sunlight prevented that from happening. He had never hated the sunlight so much in his life until today because it was getting in the way of spending time with his Mate.   
Luckily, Alec had parked close to the shops so Demi didn’t have to walk far and there didn’t seem to be many people. The shopping centre was picturesque and Demi had wished she had a camera to just take in everything. If the shopping centre looked like this, she couldn’t wait to find out what the rest of Volterra looked like. Demi had wished that she was wearing more comfortable clothing, like her jeans but she would have to make do with her white blouse and pencil skirt. As Demi looked around, she tried to think about what formal outfit she would need and then cursed the fact she never asked Alec how formal it was. She didn’t want to arrive at the gathering underdressed and now she felt panicked. Demi was about to enter a shop when she stopped. She could feel eyes on her and it made her feel uncomfortable. For a moment, she assumed that it was Alec keeping an eye on her at a distance but she instantly knew it wasn’t. Her gut told her that it was someone else. Shaking off these thoughts Demi continued to look around the shops.   
Thirty minutes had passed and Demi had yet to find anything she liked. She had been in a few shops but because she didn’t know what kind of gather it was, she couldn’t decide and it aggravated her. Deciding that she needed to ask Alec what kind of event it was, she started to head back towards the place Alec had parked. As she walked, she couldn’t help but notice how deserted the market had become and this only served to unnerve her further. The entire time she had been window shopping, Demi had felt eyes on her and the feeling only got worse when she sensed more eyes on her. Demi was certain that it was at least three people who were watching her. A sense of dread filled her and she quickened her pace. However, she was met by resistance from her skirt. The skirt wasn’t made for power walking and at that moment, she cursed her attire.  
Footsteps echoed from behind her and she dared to sneak a peek from the reflection of a nearby shop window. There was only one man, he was small and slim with light blonde hair but she couldn’t make out the eye colour. Demi’s attention was soon caught when she recognised someone in front of her. Turning her attention forward, she noticed that another man stood a nearly a foot away from her. This man was tall with dark hair and red eyes.  
Upon seeing the red eyes, Demi panicked and her breath hitched. There was a Vampire in front of her and if she had to guess, there was another one behind her.  
“Hello, Princess,” The man greeted, his Romanian accent heavy.  
“W-who are you?” Demi asked timidly, her voice breathless. She cursed herself for stuttering and wished she could be braver in these moments.  
The man grinned tauntingly, “You won’t be here long enough to find out,” The man’s eyes darkened as the bloodlust rolled off him.  
Demi felt like her heart was in her throat and it only got worse when she felt another presence. She was surrounded by three Vampires who she had never met before. If she hadn’t felt threatened before, she felt threatened now. Her fire demanded to be released and she was tempted but then she remembered her promise to Camille.  
“You smell delicious,” The second Vampire said.  
The third Vampire got closer, “Yeah, just give us a taste,”  
Panicked filled her and she did the only logical thing. “ALEC!” Demi screamed out, hoping that he was nearby enough to hear her scream and get there in time.  
The first Vampire laughed, “Aw, she thinks someone is going to save her,” He reached out and was about to touch her when a furious roar filled the air.  
Demi’s eyes widened when she saw a dark figure come out of nowhere. The Vampire that was about to touch her disappeared from her sight and watched as Alec tore off his arm with no mercy. Her breath hitched in her throat when she saw Alec, his eyes were black in anger and a malevolent aura hung over him. Stood before her was a dangerous Vampire, one that had killed thousands of creatures and yet Demi wasn’t as scared as she thought she would be.  
“Get to the car,” Alec commanded, his body tensed dangerously as he watched the other two Vampires.  
Deciding not to say anything, Demi ran in the direction of the car, not caring that her skirt had ripped because now she had the freedom to run. As she ran, she could hear the snarls in the air and it only fuelled her to run faster to the car. It was only when she saw the car that she sighed in relief and she thought she was nearly safe.  
But she had thought too soon.  
Another Vampire appeared in front of her, one that wasn’t a part of the original group. Demi stopped dead in her tracks as her body shook, but not in fear. She was scared out of her mind, but the adrenaline was stopping her from panicking and having a breakdown in the middle of town. But, it also meant that her control was slipping over her gift.  
“Going somewhere, girly?” The Romanian Vampire asked with a malicious grin. He took a step forward and that’s when Demi realised how bad the situation was.  
“Stay back!” She demanded, her voice shrill and loud.  
“Or what?” The Vampire asked, his tone sarcastic.  
Annoyance filled Demi as she clenched her jaw. She looked down at her gloves, they were the only thing from stopping her using her powers. Demi remembered the promise she made to Camille but as the Vampire got closer she knew she had no choice. Demi yanked the gloves off her hands and threw them to the ground. “I said, stay back!” She yelled at him, feeling her temperature rise the moment the gloves were removed.  
“I don’t think I will,” The Vampire said as he crouched down low to attack.  
Demi’s body sung as she felt the heat travel to her hands. Her fire was fighting against the repressors left on her body and demanded she removed them. However, Demi knew she wouldn’t have enough time and willed her fire to work around then. Just as the Vampire was about to attack, Demi yelled out as she held up her hands and threw them down and watched as a gigantic fireball flung its way over to Vampire and engulfed him in flames. The Vampire screeched in pain as the fire consumed him and Demi willed the fire to get hotter and bigger. The Vampire’s shrieks of pain echoed in the air as well as a burning smell, one that Demi had not smelt before.  
Without a second thought, Demi dashed off, not bothering to see if the Vampire survived her attack because she knew he wouldn’t. Her flames were unique and would only stop burning on her command. However, Demi didn’t make it far before Alec appeared in front of her completely unscathed.  
“Demi, are you okay?” Alec asked as his eyes searched hers for any injuries.  
She didn’t know what it was, maybe it was the adrenaline or the relief she felt from letting out her powers. Regardless of what it was, Demi couldn’t stop herself as she launched herself at Alec and hugged him. She buried her head in his chest muttering her thanks as her body shook from shock. She didn’t care that she was hugging one of the most terrifying Vampires in the world, all she cared about was the fact he was okay and she was alive. She didn’t even care about how cold he was because, at that moment, it felt right.  
For a moment, Alec did nothing. He blinked slowly as he processed what had just happened but he quickly snapped out of it when he smelt his Mate’s tears. Without a second thought, Alec wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back, breathing in her scent of apples and cinnamon. As she was in his arms, he couldn’t help but marvel how small she was. She barely even came up to his shoulders but he found he rather liked this height difference because it allowed him to rest his head on top of hers. When he felt her start to shake, he knew he needed to stop her having a panic attack so he did the first thing that came to mind. Slowly, he started to stroke her uncontrollable hair as he muttered about how she was safe and he was there for her.  
Demi found that Alec’s voice did wonders for her nerves. However, that soon changed when she realised what she had just done. She had harmed and most likely killed a Vampire.   
Demi had broken the Treaty.


	11. Chapter 11

Demi paced around her room as her thoughts went wild. After the attack in the city centre, Alec had driven them back to the castle at a breakneck pace. Demi was sure he was doing over a hundred miles per hour but she didn’t care because she couldn’t focus on anything around her. Alec had attempted to speak with her, but she couldn’t even formulate an actual thought let alone speech. Alec had escorted her back to her room while he informed Aro of what happened and now Demi couldn’t stop all the thoughts that raced around her mind. She had broken the Treaty by attacking and most likely killing a Vampire – a very clear violation of the Treaty. Everything that she had worked for was down the drain in an instant. It also didn’t help that her fire hummed in satisfaction at being released and she had broken her promise to Camille. When Camille found out what happened she would kill her – that’s if the Volturi didn’t get to her first. Demi groaned out loud as she thought about what would happen when Camille heard about her little incident. Demi had barely managed to get this opportunity and she had just blown it wide open. There was no way Camille would trust her now after this mess.  
Demi’s panicked thoughts were interrupted when there was a knock on the door. She looked at the door and was very tempted not to open it but she knew she had no choice. If she didn’t answer there was a very high chance they would break down the door. Taking a deep breath, Demi walked over to the door and opened it, revealing that it was Heidi on the other side.  
“The Lords wish to speak with you,” Heidi said, her face void of any emotion.  
Visibly gulping, Demi stepped out of her room and followed after Heidi. Her only reprieve was the fact they hadn’t sent Jane – that would not have been a good sign.  
The walk to the Throne Room was one that Demi hated. Her heart was beating ten to a dozen and she felt like she was going to pass out from the stress alone. As she walked, Demi couldn’t help the intrusive thoughts about what the Volturi could do to her. Would they kill her? Torture her? Caius seemed to very much dislike her so that was something she wouldn’t put past him. However, it was Aro that concerned her. She hoped she wasn’t on his bad side because then she really was screwed. Demi snapped out of her thoughts when she realised they had arrived and Heidi had opened the door. Demi stepped through and immediately noticed the Three Kings were stood up and each of the Guards were by the edge of the room.   
“Heidi, thank you for bringing her down,” Aro said when he saw them enter the room.  
Heidi nodded her head and silently joined Demetri in the back. This left Demi alone in the middle of the room and she couldn’t help but feel vulnerable.  
Aro looked directly at Demi, causing her to stand straight, “Alec has informed me of what happened. However, he was not present when you attacked the Vampire and I am unable to read your mind. However, Alec assures me that it was self-defence,” Aro looked in the direction of Alec with a blank expression.  
Demi’s eyes widened and she too looked to Alec. She had not expected for him to stick up for her, especially when he didn’t see what happened.   
“Before a decision is made, we would like to hear your side. Please, tell us what happened,” Aro asked imploringly.   
Taking in a few deep breathes, Demi answered him. “When I was walking around the shops, I felt eyes on me and it felt uncomfortable. I ignored this feeling but then it grew worse as I felt as though there were more eyes on me. As I was heading back towards where Alec had parked, three Vampires came out of nowhere and they stated they wanted to drink my blood. Alec arrived and stopped them and he told me to run. However, before I could reach the car, another Vampire appeared and was about to attack me. I had no choice,” Demi’s voice became pleading towards the end as she hoped Aro would believe her. There was no lie in what she said but she hoped they wouldn’t react negatively to the fact they couldn’t read her mind to find out everything.  
Aro hummed in thought and Caius scowled, “That is not an excuse! You have killed one of our own!” He took a threatening step forward and this caused Demi to flinch back.  
In a flash, Alec appeared by her side, “If the Vampire was about to attack her, he is the one who broke the Treaty first. No clause explains what happens in these kinds of situation,” His posture was tense but he stood strong, not wavering even when Caius sent him a scathing glare.  
Demi looked to Alec in surprise but she was grateful. She had not expected him to stick up for her but she was thankful that he did. If she had him on her side then Aro was more likely to be more lenient on her. As she watched Alec, she couldn’t help but wonder that maybe she had misjudged him.  
“He is right, there is no clause to deal with a situation like this,” Aro agreed with a slight nod of the head.  
“I am very sorry,” Demi said once more.  
Caius hissed lowly, his glare filled with contempt. This caused Alec’s shoulders to tense further as his own gaze became scornful.  
Ignoring the tension in the room, Aro looked to Demi, “Is there any other detail you remember? Anything could be important.” The fact that a group of Vampires had come into Volterra and attacked a Witch was not lost on Aro or any of the Volturi. The timing was too convenient for his liking especially when they had just captured a Vampire who had killed Witches and a Warlock. However, they couldn’t get information because Alec had killed the three Vampire and Demi had killed the last one.   
For a moment, Demi fell silent. She thought back to what happened and only one thing sprung to mind, “Their accents, they sounded Romanian,” She had noted how thick their accents were, especially the one that attempted to touch her until Alec stopped him.  
Multiple hisses echoed in the room and for a moment, Demi thought she had answered wrong. This sudden sound caused her to jump and heat to travel to her hands. At this, Demi mentally cursed because she had left her gloves on the floor of the shopping centre. She needed to get them back in case she had an incident. Demi couldn’t help but feel a little bare and vulnerable without them because she had been wearing them for so long. They had almost become part of her and now she wished for them back – even if her fire hated the accessory.  
“Demetri,” Aro turned his attention to the tracker of the group, “I think it’s time we paid a visit to the Romanian Coven,” It had been some time since they had paid a visit to the Romanian Coven, something that was done to make sure they weren’t attempting another rebellion against them.   
Demetri nodded his head in understanding.  
“Take Jane and Santiago with you,” Caius ordered. If they were going to make an impression on the Romanian Coven then taking Jane would be the best solution. The Romanian Coven was scared of Jane, especially after the last confrontation they had and he wanted them to remember to what happened to people who defied them.  
Jane’s eyes lit up at this prospect and Santiago bowed his head. He shot a sympathetic look in Demi’s direction. With their orders known, Demetri, Santiago and Jane left the Throne Room and headed out of the castle at a fast pace.  
Aro’s red eyes settled back on Demi causing her breath to catch in her throat. “I want to thank you for sharing this information. As there is no clause of how to deal with this, we will make a decision ourselves. We will speak to you shortly,” He motioned to his brothers indicating that they needed time to deliberate.  
Demi silently nodded her head and allowed Alec to escort her out of the room. As they left, Aro signalled for the other Guards to leave and they were gone with a blink of an eye.  
Caius waited until everyone was out of hearing range before he began, “We can’t let her get away with this!” He hissed as he turned to Aro and Marcus. In his mind, there was no question of what to do. The Witch needed to be punished and he was more than happy to deliver that punishment herself.  
“I know,” Aro admitted with an unnecessary sigh, “This is a predicament. If we let her get away with it then it risks others trying the same thing,” The balance and peace between Vampires and Witches was a fickle thing and one that needed constant vigilance.  
Marcus silently watched his brothers before adding his thoughts, “But, if we punish the Witch, we risk losing Alec,” He saw through his gift how strongly Alec felt for the Witch and he would not take kindly to anyone who harmed her – even them.  
Both Aro and Caius fell silent at his words. This was something they wanted to avoid at all costs. If Alec left the Volturi then Jane would no doubt follow close behind. They may not be on speaking terms at the moment but Jane was still very loyal to Alec, even more so than the Volturi and that was something that would never change. If they didn’t make the right decision, they would risk losing their two most powerful members.  
“Heidi has also become attached,” Marcus added with a thoughtful expression. He had seen how the bonds between the Guards were changing and it fascinated him. The Guards were quite closed off so it was quite easy to see the difference.  
This caused Aro and Caius to frown deeply. If Heidi had become attached it could potentially cause a rift within the Coven and if Heidi became estranged, then Demetri would naturally follow. There was no way Heidi or Demetri would be separated as Mates and that made things even trickier. Heidi was loyal to a fault and didn’t take to people so easily so when she did she would stick by them no matter what.  
“This is ridiculous!” Caius scowled darkly, “We should just kill her and be done with it,”  
Aro shook his head, “No, we will not harm the Witch. If we do it will upset the Blackthorn Coven and Alec.” On balance, it was too risky for anything to happen to the Witch and they all knew it. Marcus’ words had just solidified his thoughts. “In all fairness, it was most likely self-defence,”  
“Not that we can prove that because you can’t read her mind!” Caius argued back.  
Sighing deeply, Aro said, “Fine. We shall have a vote. Who favours being lenient on the Witch?” He raised his hand and surprisingly, so did Marcus.  
Caius cast him a confused look, “Why, brother?”  
Marcus shook his head, “No one should lose a Mate,” His old and aged eyes were filled with sadness as he thought about his Mate. Didyme had been beautiful and everything he had wanted in a Mate but she had been ripped away from him. He never wanted anyone to feel what he felt even now.  
Caius appeared ready to argue back, but Marcus interrupted him, “How would you feel if someone tried to punish Athenodora?”  
A dark and feral gleam flashed through Caius’ eyes at the thought. If anyone even dared to look at his Mate wrong he would have killed them without a second thought and he knew she would do the same for him. When he realised what Marcus was saying, he sighed deeply, “Fine. We won’t punish her,” He mumbled under his breath.  
Aro’s eyes lit up as he clapped his hands together, “Great! So we all agree to pardon her under the condition she tells no one?” He asked to make sure everyone was on the same wavelength.  
Both Marcus and Caius nodded their heads in agreement.

TWILIGHT 

An hour had passed and Demi was back in her room, fretting over the outcome. After Alec had dropped her off to her room, he hadn’t said anything before he walked away. She couldn’t help but feel disappointed but she hid it away because she had bigger things to be worrying about. She was very tempted to call Camille and get some advice because she really needed to talk to someone but at the same time, she didn’t want Camille to know what had happened. Demi groaned and pulled at her hair in frustration. She hoped that whatever the decision may be, Aro would be lenient because there was no way that Caius would be. Demi had tried to distract herself by busying herself but nothing worked. She became distracted when she thought about Alec but she quickly willed those thoughts away due to embarrassment.  
A knock on the door snapped Demi out of her thoughts. Taking a deep breath, Demi walked over to the door and opened it. Alec stood on the other side and when Demi saw him, she tensed. She didn’t know what his presence meant, whether it was good or bad.  
“May I come in?” Alec asked.  
For a moment, Demi was tempted to say no and shut the door in his face because she didn’t want to hear the news. However, another part of her – the more sensible side – knew that she couldn’t hide away and needed to face this head-on. “Yes,” She took a step back and allowed Alec to walk into her room.  
Alec looked around the room and took in everything, noting how neat and tidy the room was. “The Masters have made a decision.”  
Demi inhaled deeply and closed her eyes as she waited for her judgement. She didn’t know what it was but she hoped it wouldn’t be too harsh.  
“They have decided to pardon you as long as you don’t tell the other Witches,” Alec said with a faint smile.  
All the strength left her in that instant and she needed to sit down, “Oh thank goodness,” Demi sat down on the bed. This was an outcome she had not expected but one that she wholeheartedly welcomed.  
Watching her, Alec couldn’t help as his smile softened, “I also have these,” He reached into his pocket and pulled out Demi’s black gloves, the ones she had thrown to the ground when the Vampire attacked her.  
When Demi saw the gloves, she nearly gasped. She looked up at Alec in surprise, “B-but how?” She thought those gloves were gone for good but here they were. Slowly, she reached forward when Alec brought them closer for her to grab. Once she grabbed them, she immediately put them back on. The moment she slipped them back on, her fire hissed at her in defiance but otherwise did not make its presence known.  
“I thought they were important because of how much you wear them,” Alec answered as he watched her put the gloves on. He had never seen Demi without the gloves and assumed that they must have meant a lot to her. Now, he was glad he picked them up because now she looked calmer than before.  
Demi laughed before she could stop herself. She never would have thought he would pick up something like that but it made her feel happy that he had. If he hadn’t, she didn’t know what she would have done without them – especially when she saw Camille after this was all over. “Thank you, you don’t know how much they mean,” Demi smiled at him wholeheartedly.  
Alec purposely blinked slowly but his posture visibly relaxed. “You’re welcome,”  
Demi looked up at him, the smile still in place, “I also want thank you for saving me. I don’t think I would be here without you,” Going against three Vampires at once would not be a wise choice and one that she was glad she didn’t have to make. Going against one Vampire was fine but three was too much. She hadn’t tested out the full capacity of her power and so she didn’t know what her limit was. Thinking about it logically, she decided that she didn’t want to find out in the middle of a fight.  
“I would say you did quite well. Your magic was very effective,” Alec said. “Your fire was quite different," By the time he had arrived, the fourth Vampire was burnt to a crisp. He wouldn’t have even known it was Vampire until he saw it’s some the remains that could only belong to a Vampire. However, he knew that the fire belonged to Demi because her scent was all over the scene.  
Demi stilled for a moment. As much as she would like to deny it, Alec was right, her fire was different from other Witches and Warlocks. It burned brighter was bigger than all the others. Hers was more controlled. She could will the fire not to burn people if she chose but it took a lot of focus and could very easily go wrong. Demi hadn’t been able to test it out because Camille didn’t like her using the fire so close to the cottage. There was so much she didn’t know about her own power and a part of her longed to discover everything she can. However, the situation was getting too close to her secret than what she would have liked and it made her feel uncomfortable because she didn’t want him to find out her secret.  
“It was very beautiful,” Alec continued honestly. He had never seen a fire so bright before and it intrigued him. He had only seen one other Witch produce such a flame and that was Scarlett. He had always had a strong aversion to fire but even he couldn’t deny her fire fascinated him.  
Looking at him, Demi felt her heart skip a beat and her face flushed at the compliment. No one had called her fire beautiful before, everyone she had met was far too scared of it and stayed away from her because of it. Her fire hummed at his words as if wanting him to give it more praise and she had to remind her flames to behave itself. “No one has ever said that…” Her voice was barely above a whisper and that’s all she could manage.  
“Well they are fools,” Alec answered back with conviction.  
Demi’s flushed face darkened and her head ducked down so he wouldn’t see but she suspected he had already seen.  
“I’ll leave you alone tonight. It’s been very hectic so I’ll let you relax,” Alec said as he headed towards the door. As he stepped through the threshold, he turned back to look at Demi and smiled faintly before leaving the room. He closed the door behind him softly and Demi listened in for any noise but she heard nothing.  
Once she was alone, Demi flopped onto the bed and sighed deeply. It had been a wild day but she also felt relieved. She had managed to expel some of her fire and Alec hadn’t seemed to suspect a thing. As her thoughts strayed to Alec, she couldn’t stop the weird fluttering sensation that trembled in her stomach. Everything she thought she knew about Alec seemed to be wrong and now she felt guilty that she may have misjudged him. If he was such a ruthless killer, he wouldn’t have jumped in front of her when Ajax tried to attack her and he wouldn’t have come to her aid when those three Romanian Vampires attacked her. He had been polite and hadn’t made her feel uncomfortable, unlike his twin. From everything she had seen about the Volturi, she began to wonder how much of what she was told about them being sadistic and cruel was true. Nearly everyone had been courteous and lovely to her, especially Heidi. She had been warned how malicious and sly Aro was, how evil Alec and Jane were and to stay away from them. But, Demi had found that she was rather fond of them and she would probably miss them when she left.  
Demi gasped when she remembered Camille. She jumped up and grabbed her phone from the desk and quickly called Camille’s number. Surely, Camille would have felt through the magic in Demi’s earrings that she had been in danger. The last thing Demi needed was Camille storming into the castle or sending someone else. The phone rang for a few moments but no one answered. Demi frowned as she hung up and called again but the same thing happened. Demi placed the phone down on the bed and furrowed her brows in thought. Camille always picked up her calls because she always had her phone on her person in case there were any emergencies within the Coven. This caused Demi to panic because it could have meant Camille had already sent someone to come and collect her. Demi groaned out loud as she prayed that this wasn’t the case.  
Deciding to call Camille again later, she stood up and headed out of her room as she felt peckish. A light snack would help calm her down. Without another thought or fear of running into Alec, Demi left her room humming slightly.

TWILIGHT 

Many miles away 

Two dark figures stood near each other, one was covered with a thick black cloak but the other one stood plain to see. The second figure belonged to a Vampire, he was short with ashy blonde hair, pale skin and burgundy blood-red eyes. He wore dark clothing which only served to make his blond hair and pale skin stand out even more. This Vampire was Vladimir, one of the Leaders of the Romanian coven. They were stood in a rundown motel, one that was completely inconspicuous and one that no one would have given a second glance.  
“How was the mission?” The cloaked figured asked. The voice sounded feminine but the accent was unknown.  
Vladimir scowled darkly, “It was a failure. Alec was able to overpower the Vampires and killed them with ease.” He had sent four of his most powerful Vampires only for them to be killed effortlessly. He had sent a fifth Vampire to hang back and report back what happened in case anything went pear-shaped and now he was glad he had otherwise they wouldn’t have known what happened.  
The cloaked figure sighed deeply, “You continue to underestimate the Volturi. Did you even use my gifts?”  
“We can defeat the Volturi without magic!” Vladimir argued back, a hiss in his voice. The Romanian Coven was strong without gifts and he refused to rely on Vampire gifts as the Volturi did.  
“Then you are a fool!” The cloaked figure argued back, annoyed at his defiance, “I gave you those magical objects for a purpose and that was to bring down the Volturi!”  
Vladimir glared at her defiantly, “If they were used, they would have known about our alliance,”  
The cloaked figure shook her head, “No they wouldn’t. They’re not smart enough to realise that magic is involved,” All the Volturi cared about was themselves and their Vampires, they wouldn’t be able to spot magic being used because they believed in the Treaty. It was from that agreement they would never assume magic would be used against them.  
Vladimir sent her a suspicious glare, “Well they will because they have a Witch with them.”  
The figure stilled for a moment, her posture tense, “What?”  
“My guy saw a Witch, she was with Alec and she called for him,” Vladimir said with an irritated gleam in his red eyes, “She then used fire to kill one of my men,” His Vampire had come back scared and worried. Fire was only of the only things that could kill a Vampire and so being around such a strong flame had unnerved his Vampire.  
For a moment, the cloaked figure said nothing but then her tensed posture relaxed. “That Witch is of no concern. She will not interfere with our plans,”  
Vladimir sent her a suspicious look but otherwise said nothing about the matter. “What is the next plan then?”  
“Nothing changes. Our goal is still the same as before. We kill Jane and Alec and soon the Volturi will fall because they would have lost their greatest weapons. As soon as they’re gone, we can make a direct attack against them,” The cloaked figure explained confidently.  
Vladimir nodded his head slowly. The thought of killing both Jane and Alec made him happy – those twins had slaughtered his Coven in the last attack where his Mate was killed. He would get his revenge no matter what, he wouldn’t rest until the Romanian Coven was back on top – just like they used to be.  
“How is the army coming along?” The figure asked.  
“As well as expected,” Vladimir admitted with an unnecessary sigh, “We still need more. However, their bloodlust is not subsiding,” That was one of the only downsides of New Borns, their insatiable need for blood. They were going through a lot of humans every day and it didn’t seem to be slowing down. It had been a long time since he was New Born and he didn’t remember much of his first few years as a Vampire.  
The cloaked woman scoffed, “Well what do you expect? I told you to build up your army slowly, not all at once.”  
“We need as many as possible!” Vladimir argued back with a snarl.  
The women huffed, “But you’re being dumb! If word gets out about a sudden decline in humans then the Volturi will come to investigate. We need to keep this as quiet as possible until its time,”  
“But they need to pay now!” Vladimir growled as his bloodlust for vengeance shinned through his aged eyes. The need to get revenge for the death of his Mate too strong to hide.  
The woman shook her head, “And they will but we need to be patient. I have been planning this for nineteen years and I will not let your impatience get in my way,”  
“And I have waited for thousands! I refuse to wait any longer!” Vladimir snarled angrily.  
Without saying a word, the woman held out her hand it glowed as she used her magic. Groaning, Vladimir fell to his knees as he held his head. It felt like a fire in his brain, a pain he hadn’t felt in many years, “Okay! I get it! I will be more patient!”  
The woman stopped her attack and placed her hand back under her cloak. She had made herself perfectly clear that she would not put up with his attitude. She watched him unrepentantly and unashamedly as Vladimir shook from the aftershocks of the pain.  
Slowly, Vladimir climbed back to his feet, “We will stick with your plan. But, if that Witch attacks again, are we allowed to kill her?”  
“No,” The woman shook her head, “If all goes to plan, she will be her own undoing.”  
Vladimir nodded his head in understanding and didn’t question her logic. He had been working with her for the last seven years and he still wasn’t used to working with a Witch. It seemed almost unnatural but they worked well together when needed.  
“I will meet with you again in three days. I expect to hear better news,” The woman said, her words holding a hidden threat.  
“Of course,” Vladimir said, “Will you be able to get past the Leader of your Coven?” He knew that their plans worked better if less people knew about it. The woman had been adamant about being the only Witch involved with this until she was sure others would follow her. Vladimir had been sceptical but he had seen the woman’s power and knew she would be enough for now.  
The woman laughed, “Oh, she won’t be an issue. She is far too busy cleaning up after other people’s messes.” The woman looked down at her watch, “I do need to go before anyone suspects anything,” Turning around, the woman walked away and out of the motel.  
Vladimir watched her go with guarded eyes.


	12. Chapter 12

Demi stood in the kitchen on her fifth day humming a touch as she cooked her breakfast. She had got up early that morning feeling very refreshed and a spring in her step. That day felt different and she suspected it was because of how relaxed she felt. The heavyweight of fear and anxiety that always draped on her shoulders was slowly fading away and now her day felt brighter. She had got up extra early that day and had set into making herself a big breakfast. She hadn’t seen Alec that morning and she couldn’t help but feel disappointed but she pushed that aside and focused on that day. Today, she wore a knee-length burgundy dress with black tights and black pumps. Just as she was plating up her foot, the kitchen door opened.  
“Good morning,” Alec said as he walked into the kitchen.  
“Morning,” Demi said with a smile only feeling slightly nervous. She saw this as progress though because she didn’t feel like she wasn’t going to faint at the sight of him. She still felt nervous around him but then she remembered how he had saved her and that made her feel better.  
“You’re up early,” Alec commented as he watched Demi eat her breakfast.  
Taking a bite out of her French toast, Demi chewed with thought. “I am. I was hoping to go sightseeing today, as long there are no meetings,” She turned to Alec waiting for the answer. She had been waiting for this day for a while and she hoped there would be no meetings.  
Alec shook his head, “No meetings for today,”  
Demi smiled widely, that was good news. “A-are you free today?” Demi flushed as she asked the question. Before coming to Volterra, Demi had researched the city and found all the places that she wanted to visit. For a time, she thought she wasn’t going to get a chance to go sightseeing but it seemed as though it might be the day. However, it would be better if she had someone who knew the city to be her guide.  
A ghost of smile rolled onto his face, “I am. Would you like me to accompany you?”  
The flush on Demi’s face darkened and she nodded her head. She would feel safer if Alec was with her in case there was another attack. She was confident that there wouldn’t be another attack so close to the other but she would rather not take the risk.  
“Finish up and we’ll head out soon after,” Alec said as he looked down at his watch, mentally assessing how much time they would have to explore the city.   
Demi’s eyes lit up and she immediately began scarfing down her food, not noticing that Alec watched her with a soft smile.  
Forty minutes later and Alec and Demi were in the town. Alec had driven them in his Aston Martin into town and Demi couldn’t help but feel excited. She had decided to stay in her smart attire because she didn’t want to feel underdressed stood next to Alec. Luckily, it was a cloudy day and there was no sunshine so Alec could leave the car without any fear of being discovered. Alec had brought a jacket with a hood just in case it did become sunny as well as sunglasses to hide his red eyes. Demi was nearly vibrating in her seat because of how excited she was, she could finally go sightseeing. She kept in mind that she needed to get a souvenir for Lily and Camille and began to wonder what she would get them.  
“Is there anything you want to particularly see?” Alec asked as they walked through the plaza. There were many places he could take her but he wanted to know if there was a place, in particular, she wanted to see first.  
“Everything,” Demi answered without hesitation. She wanted to see as much of Volterra as possible because she knew she didn’t have long left before she would need to leave so she was going to make the most of it.  
Alec nodded his head and faintly smirked, “As you wish,” He was more than happy to show off Volterra to her. It was a beautiful city, one that he had explored many times when his thoughts were troubling him.  
Demi’s eyes lit up and the smile on her face widened.  
Many hours passed and Demi felt happy. Alec had taken her to see Piazza Dei Priori, the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, the Guarnacci Etruscan Museum and the Pinacoteca art gallery. Everything had been beautiful and she had bought a disposable camera to capture these moments. She had needed to buy a second one with how many photos she had taken and Alec had bought one for her without one complaint, to which she was very thankful for. At every chance, she took a photograph because she wanted something to look back on. There was so much to take in and Alec was a very good tour guide. He was very detailed about all the places they explored, giving her plenty of facts to remember and she soaked up everything he threw at her. She was so preoccupied with the beauty of the city that she never once thought about the attack from yesterday or the fact that it was Alec that was giving her this amazing tour. She felt like a normal person that she wasn’t part of the Blackthorn Coven and forgot that Alec was part of the Volturi – it just felt normal. Demi had been so mesmerised by the city that she had nearly forgotten to eat, if it wasn’t for Alec then she definitely would have. Alec guided her to a restaurant and it was only when she smelt food when she realised how hungry she was. When it came time to pay, Demi found out that Alec had already paid for her and when she tried to protest, he just shrugged his shoulders and told her not to worry about it. She hadn’t seen everything in Volterra but she had seen as much as she could within the day and now she was starting to feel tired. It was a good tired where she felt like she had accomplished something – though her feet were very sore.  
The sky was a dark orange colour and filled with clouds when she and Alec made it back to his car. Seeing how tired she was, Alec had made the decision to head back and Demi found that she didn’t have the energy to protest.  
Demi sighed in her seat after she put her seatbelt on, “Thank you for today,” As soon as her head hit the headrest, her body turned to jelly. It had been a busy day and she had taken only a few breaks under the insistence of Alec and it was catching up with her.  
“It was nice to get out,” Alec said as he drove on.  
Demi peaked at the speedometer and was surprised to find he was going slightly below the speed limit but chose not to comment. As she sat there, her tired mind began to wonder about things and they were all about Alec. “I think I misjudged you…”  
Alec looked over to her and frowned, “What do you mean?”  
Giggling to herself, Demi smiled, “Before coming here, I was warned about the Volturi and to stay away from certain people. One of them was you and your sister,” Her eyelids suddenly felt very heavy but she fought back because she wasn’t done with her day.  
Grinning faintly, Alec replied, “What was said?” He was aware of the many things that were said by about him and his sister but he paid attention to none of it. However, he was curious to know what Demi thought about him.  
“That you’re more dangerous than Jane because you’re quieter,” Demi admitted quietly, slowly losing the battle against sleep.  
Alec fell silent for a moment, “And now?” He asked eventually, his grip on the wheel tightened as he awaited her answer. It has been a very long time since he was nervous and he could easily say that he was nervous now. Her answer was very important to him, whether she realised it or not.  
Demi hummed in thought, “Now… I think your kind and caring.” Thinking back to everything that had happened, that was the one word that stuck. He was kind but it was obvious that he didn’t let people see that side of him and she felt warm inside to know that he had shown that side to her. Without it, she doubted that her opinion about him would have changed.  
His grip on the steering wheel slackened as he blinked slowly. He had not expected those words and it shocked him. No one had ever referred to him as kind or caring before. He had been called many things before – some things he would rather not repeat as they were not words that should be ever uttered in the presence of his Mate. However, the words made his undead heart clench because she didn’t even realise how much those words meant to him. Alec looked over to say something but he stopped himself and smiled at the sight before him. Demi sat asleep in her seat with her head titled back. She looked so peaceful that he didn’t want to disturb her. Alec turned his attention back to the road and made sure to not go over any speed bumps as he didn’t want to disturb her.

TWILIGHT 

Alec walked out of Demi’s room after dropping her off. She had stayed asleep the entire ride back to the castle and he didn’t have the heart to wake her up. He could see the dark circles under her eyes under the makeup and thought maybe she needed the extra sleep – humans were fragile after all and often suffered if they didn’t get enough sleep. When getting her out of the car, he had made a conscious effort to be as gentle as possible with her and carried her bridal style to her room. Alec smirked to himself as he thought about her reaction, if Demi had woken up she more than likely would have blushed and looked absolutely adorable like she always did. He was heading towards the kitchen to make her something to eat for when she woke up but he didn’t know what to make or what she liked. As he observed her, he found that Demi would mostly eat anything and she didn’t seem that picky – except she seemed to have a disliking towards mushrooms. He had made food for her once and she seemed to have liked it so it was a good sign that he wasn’t a terrible cook. When he made it to the kitchen, Alec began to look in the fridge to decide what to make.  
The floor flung open for a second time, “Well who would have thought you’d be caught a second time making food,” Heidi said as she strolled into the room confidently.  
Alec rolled his eyes at her, “Hello Heidi, what do you want?”  
“Well I want Demetri, but we all know he’s not here,” Heidi replied as she shrugged her shoulders. She tried to act as though the separation from her Mate wasn’t affecting her but it was. She missed Demetri dearly and she was bored. They had barely got to spend a few hours together before he was sent off again.  
Saying nothing, Alec continued to examine and fridge and its contents.  
However, Heidi was not done. “Speaking of which, how is your Mate?” She asked with a large grin. She had seen him carry Demi in and she couldn’t help herself in coming over to see how he was doing.  
“She's worn-out,” Alec admitted as he looked away from the human food, “I showed her around Volterra and it tired her out.” He knew it was safe to speak because none of the other Guards was nearby or in hearing range. The rest of the Guard were all in the training area and there was plenty of space between them where they wouldn’t hear what he said. The last thing he needed was the other Guards trying to tease him.  
Heidi let out a soft squeal, “Oh that’s so romantic! I love it! Can I assume that she is less scared of you?”  
Alec nodded his head, “Yes… it seems that way,” He wouldn’t reveal what Demi had told him in the car because it was too precious. That was his moment with her and he wasn’t willing to share such a personal moment with anyone. It was something he would hold very dear to him.  
“I’m happy for you Alec,” Heidi said with a genuine smile that would blind a human, “You deserve it,”  
A faint smile rolled into his face, “Thank you,”  
“How are you and Jane at the moment?” Heidi asked carefully. From what she saw in the Throne Room the previous day, she knew that relations were still frosty and she was a little concerned. She thought they would have patched things up by now but it seems that wasn’t the case.  
Alec’s gaze dropped, “It is not good. She found out about Demi,” If there was a moment he could take back, it would be when he put his hand in his sister’s throat. The instinct to protect Demi had been too strong and he knew Jane would stay true to her word so he panicked.  
Heidi winced at his words, “Ouch.” She had an idea Jane’s reaction wouldn’t be good when she found out but she didn’t expect for her stop speaking to Alec all together.  
“Now, she hates Demi even more than before.” Alec admitted lowly, “And now, I have to watch out in case she attacks Demi,”  
“I’ll keep an eye out,” Heidi said with a frown. The last thing they needed was for the Treaty to be broken because that would then place Alec and Demi in a precarious position and one that wasn’t favourable to anyone.  
Alec bowed his head slightly in appreciation. “You… haven’t told anyone, have you?” He asked cautiously. The last thing he or Demi needed was anyone knowing that they were Mates. He could take the teasing but he didn’t think Demi could – especially when she didn’t even know they were Mates.  
Heidi shook her head, “No, I haven’t even told Demetri. This is your business and I won’t say anything until you’re ready,” Heidi smiled at him wholeheartedly. When she and Demetri mated, Felix had been the one to tell everyone before they were ready and Heidi had been pissed. She had wanted to bask in the glow of being newly mated and Felix had burst that bubble, something she didn’t forgive him for.  
He nearly sighed in relief, “That’s good,”  
Smiling, Heidi turned around, “I’ll leave you to make something for Demi. I would probably suggest something that won’t be made to go cold in case she doesn’t wake up for some time,”  
Alec watched as she watched away and soon he was hit with an idea of what to make.

TWILIGHT 

It was late when Demi roused from her sleep. Slowly, Demi blinked away the sleep in her eyes and she sat up. It took her a few minutes to realise she was back in her room within the castle and she was still in her day clothes. For a moment, she felt confused as to how she ended up back in her room but then it clicked. Demi flushed red when she realised she had fallen asleep in front of Alec and that he had more than likely carried her to her room. Demi groaned into her hands and began cursing herself. She couldn’t understand why she kept embarrassing herself in front of Alec of all people. Spotting something in the corner of her eye, Demi noticed a tray at her bedside and saw that it was filled with food. It was a simple chicken sandwich with some fruit and a drink. She spotted a note next to the tray and Demi picked it up.  
I’ve prepared you some food in case you get hungry. I didn’t want to wake you because you seemed tired. I had a good day today and I hope you did also, you’re very good company.   
Alec.  
Demi smiled at the letter and she found herself laughing slightly. She couldn’t help but marvel at his handwriting, it was so neat and fancy that she was almost jealous of how lovely it looked. Gently placing the note down on her bed, Demi carefully grabbed the tray and brought it over to her bed. Taking a sip of her drink Demi was happy that it was still cold, much preferring cold drinks over hot drinks. Demi moved over to the sandwich and hungrily munched on it until it was all gone. Demi smiled again when she realised the effort that Alec went to and imagined him in the kitchen, making her a sandwich and that made her laugh again. Demi would have never imagined that Alec could cook and she wondered when he picked up such a skill.  
Once done, Demi stood up and changed into her PJs to be comfier. Dressed in a soft blue fleecy short and matching top with fluffy bed socks, Demi sat back down in her bed and grabbed her phone. She thought she may have received a message or a call from Camille but she was disappointed to find that she had no messages. Deciding to call her Aunt, Demi dialled her familiar number.  
The phone rang five times before Camille answered, “Hello?”  
“Camille, how are things?” Demi asked, nearly sighing in relief when she picked up. She had been concerned when Camille never answered the day before.  
“Things have been good. Lily is still a little monster at this point, asking when you’re coming back,” Camille answered while laughing.  
“That’s good,” Demi said with a smile, not doubting her words, “Just to let you know that Demetri tracked down one of the attackers and he is currently being interrogated,”  
The line went silent for a moment, “Shouldn’t he be handed over to the Blackthorns?”  
For a moment, Demi was still. “Yeah… about that. I gave the attacker to the Volturi because the letter hadn’t arrived yet,” This was a conversation she didn’t want to have but it had to be done.  
“What?!” Demi winced and pulled the phone away but Camille still continued to scream, “Why would you do that?! Nina’s letter was nearly ready to be sent!”  
“But it wasn’t here and Caius was getting angsty. You also said it yourself that we may need to offer something to the Volturi as a peace offering,” Demi argued back. She had expected this reaction from Camille and so she was ready for this.  
“That wasn’t your decision to make!” Camille argued back, her voice shriller than before.  
Demi shook her head as annoyance filled her, “Yes it was. I was the only Blackthorn present and I had to make the decision there and then, there wasn’t enough time to call you. You’re only saying that because it was me who made this decision,”  
Camille fell silent and Demi refused to take back her words. After a few moments of silence, Camille sighed. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. It was just a bit of a shock.”  
“Thank you,” Demi said, her shoulders relaxing slightly. She had expected for Camille to put up more of a fight.  
“Nina is not going to be very happy,” Camille admitted lowly. Demi could imagine her rubbing her temples as a headache would be coming on.  
“I know,” Demi nodded her head. She knew Nina wasn’t going to be happy as she wasn’t going to get her revenge for the death of her child, “But if Nina hadn’t sent that letter, we wouldn’t be in this situation,” She understood how devastated Nina would be but that didn’t excuse her bad behaviour. No other Witch would get away with what Nina did but Aro was being lenient and without that, she would have been punished.  
Camille hummed in agreement. “Okay, I will let Nina know. You are right, I did say we needed to exchange something. Just keep me updated on what is happening,”  
Demi smiled, “I will. Camille, have you felt anything through the earrings?” She was curious to know if Camille had felt anything and if someone was on their way. She hoped that she could explain the situation and that it wasn’t the Volturi that had caused her to feel as though her life was in danger.  
“No, I haven’t. Why? Has something happened?” Camille’s voice became high pitched, sounding as if she was panicked.  
Demi frantically shook her head, “No! I was just curious! I met Jane the other day and I got a little scared,” This was a lie – well a half-lie anyway. She had met Jane and was scared but that’s not what she was scared about.  
“Keep away from her, Demi,” Camille warned, her voice calmer than before, “Just being scared won’t activate it. Your life needs to be in danger for it to work,”  
Saying nothing about the matter, Demi replied, “Oh, okay. That’s fine then,” Demi remembered exactly what was said and it made her feel weird. Demi knew that she was in actual danger when that Vampire tried to attack her. She wanted to bring up the attack but she decided against it. “I’m going to head to bed, I’ll speak to you soon,”  
“Okay, goodnight Demi,” Camille said before she hung up the phone.  
Placing the phone down on the bed, Demi frowned. She reached over to her ears and took out the left earring, the one that had the protection spell on it. Demi examined the earring, it was a simple silver-studded earring that Camille had gifted her for her twelfth birthday. She had loved them and refused to take them out unless it was to clean them. She didn’t understand what had happened. As far as she was aware, Camille’s magic had never failed before and she had seen Camille cast the spell. She had only closed her eyes for a moment. It made Demi wonder about the right earring and whether that one had failed too. Demi shook her head, it didn’t matter regardless. It had worked out in her favour because it meant Camille wasn’t sending anyone out to get her and it made her sigh in relief.  
Demi looked down at her gloves and then looked at the time on her phone. It was late for her and nearly ten o’clock at night. However, she wasn’t tired and neither was her fire. Her fire hummed lowly and Demi had half a mind to ignore its call but soon decided against it. It wasn’t healthy for her to hold onto her fire and it was best to expel in small doses. With that in mind, Demi removed the gloves and placed them down next to her. Warmth gathered in her hands and a single flame lit up in her hands. Tilting her head to the side, Demi examined her fire. She had never really looked at her flame before, she was always too concerned about keeping control of it and not hurting people. But now, she could see flickers of gold within the fire and she agreed with Alec’s assessment, her fire was pretty. Her fire hummed in delight at the compliment and it caused Demi to smile.  
“Thank you,” Demi whispered to her flames. She thought it would be weird that she was talking to her fire but she found it wasn’t weird. She had always noticed her fire seemed more alive and almost like a guardian angel. Her fire purred back and the flame in her hand flickered for a moment. Demi looked at the fireplace and decided to finally light it.  
Getting up, Demi walked over to the fireplace and gently placed the small flame into the kindling and watched as the wood lit up. Within seconds, the fire grew to a good size and Demi sat back on the rug nearby and as she just watched the flames dance. By doing this, Demi felt a sense of peace and she no longer felt the strain of keeping in her fire. Looking down at her hands, Demi realised how it wasn’t bad to not have the gloves on. She had assumed it would have been a lot worse but she felt in control of herself and that made her happy. Glancing at the gloves on the bed, Demi stood up and picked them up. Maybe the gloves weren’t necessary.  
Besides, what Camille didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.


	13. Chapter 13

Demi woke up early on her sixth day and she made a conscious decision to take a bath. She had showered the night before after the busy day she had but she had been eyeing the bath for days now. Deciding to take the plunge, Demi had dropped in some bubble bath that smelt vanilla and made her sigh at the lovely smell. Stripping down, Demi stepped into the bath and sank into the steaming hot water and she hummed as she felt her muscles relax. The bath was large and easily swallowed Demi and she still had plenty of room – she was confident that this bath would fit at least three people. However, she was aware that she was a lot smaller than the average human her age. Today felt different, she felt more rested and as if a massive weight had been lifted from her shoulders but she knew a part of it was down to her fire. For years, she had always felt like she had to hide her fire away because she was scared of it getting out of control. But, she didn’t have that worry anymore and she felt more at peace with herself. Her green eyes opened when she had a thought and she raised her hands out of the water.  
Despite her wet hands, a small flame came to life in her hands and it caused Demi to smile. Usually, she would sleep in the gloves because Camille had been adamant that she never take the gloves off so this was her first night without them. Before the gloves and the other four repressors, she would sometimes have flare-ups when she had nightmares and she would wake up with burned sheets. Since she had begun wearing all the repressors, she hadn’t woken up to singed sheets. Demi spotted the candles and decided to test herself and so she extinguished the flame in her hand by closing them without burning herself. With a flick of her wrists, one candle lit up. Demi smiled at the success and decided to push it further and flicked her wrist once more, making all ten candles in the room light up.  
Leaning back in the bathtub, pride swelled in her chest and her fire hummed happily. She was suddenly filled with a sense of adrenaline and restlessness. She wanted to do more. Placing her hands together, she imagined a fire in her hand and instantly a flame appeared. She thought about the flame getting bigger and she watched as it increased in size until it was bigger than both her hands combined. Moving one hand away, the larger flame stayed perfectly still in her left hand. She took her right hand and plucked some of the flames out of the larger fire and laughed at the cool sensation that licked at her hand. Demi knew that she had nothing to fear about her own fire, it would never hurt her and it would never burned her. It truly made her wonder what else she was capable of and if she had more time then would have explored but she knew she had been in the bath too long as her skin had started to prune. Demi watched her flames and her thoughts strayed to what Alec said. He had called it beautiful and she was now inclined to agree, her cheeks flushed at the memory. Her fire purred in delight and it vibrated through her body.  
Deciding that she had spent long enough in the bath, Demi sat up and flicked her wrists, extinguishing all the fire in the room. She pulled the plug and carefully got out of the bath, grabbing a fluffy white towel to dry herself off. With the towel wrapped around her, Demi walked back into her room and grabbed her outfit for the morning. It was a simple teal blouse and black trousers with black flats. She looked at the gloves that had been left on the desk and decided to forgo them for the day. Demi made her way down to the kitchen and cooked herself a large breakfast. Using her fire had made her hungry and so she felt famished as if she hadn’t eaten days. By the time she had finished and washed her plate, Alec walked into the kitchen.  
“Good morning,” Alec greeted politely.  
Demi turned her head and smiled faintly, “Good morning,” She felt proud of herself that she didn’t jump in fright when he appeared. She had been expecting him to make his presence known and she hadn’t been terrified by this prospect.  
“Did you sleep well?” Alec asked as he walked further into the kitchen.  
“I did, I love the mattress. You think Aro may let me keep it?” Demi asked with a grin, being half-serious. If she was given permission to take the mattress she would do so in a heartbeat.  
Alec smirked, “He could probably be persuaded.”  
Despite herself, Demi found herself giggling at his words and smiled. She never could have imagined that she would be in this situation – laughing around Alec. If she had been told this was in her future, she never would have believed it. If Camille could see her now she would have been going mad and telling her to get away.  
Looking down at Demi’s hands, Alec noticed there was something different. “You’re not wearing your gloves,” He commented.  
Demi looked down and nodded her head, “Oh, yeah. I just didn’t feel like wearing them,”  
Alec fell silent and his head turned in the direction of the door, “Demetri, Jane and Santiago are back,” He stated suddenly. He had heard them enter the castle and heading towards the Throne Room. From his hearing, he could tell that his sister wasn’t happy and this made him internally sigh.  
This caused Demi to stand straighter than before. “Can I assume there is a meeting?” She asked after a few moments of silence.  
Nodding his head, Alec replied, “Yes, Caius has just called a meeting,”  
Demi said nothing as she moved away from the sink. She had finished washing the plates, pans and cutlery and had put them on the draining board. She walked towards the door with Alec at her side as they walked towards the Throne Room. The walk to the Throne Room was a quiet one but Demi’s thoughts were racing. She wondered what Demetri would have found to make Jane and Caius heated – but then again it doesn’t take a lot to antagonise them. As they entered the Throne Room, Demi took notice of the attendance in the room. Every higher-up Guard was present at the edge of the room. Demetri and Heidi were stood next to each other, holding hands. Jane was stood on her own, her face like stone and Santiago was stood a few feet away from her. Next was Felix and lastly, Chelsea and Afton stood next to each other. Aro, Caius and Marcus were stood in front of their Thrones and Caius had a deep scowl on his face.  
“Thank you for coming at such short notice,” Aro said with a smile, but it wasn’t as vibrant as his other smiles.  
Alec bowed his head slightly and went to stand by Jane, whose face never changed as Alec got closer. Alec sent his sister a side glance but she ignored him and kept her gaze trained on Aro and Caius. Demi walked up to her usual place, near Marcus but stayed a respectful distance away from the Vampire. She sent him a cautious glance but Marcus never reacted.  
Once everyone was in attendance, Aro clapped his hands together. “A visit has been paid to the Romanian Coven. It appears they have started to build up their members,” He frowned as he remembered what he saw in Demetri’s mind. From what he had seen, the Romanian Coven had just shy of fifty Vampires – most of them New Borns and uncontrollable.  
Multiple snarls and hisses filled the room as the Guards did not take this information well. Ignoring them, Caius continued where Aro left off, “As a warning, we killed over three quarters of them,” He said with a large smirk. He had been furious to know that the Romanian Coven had started to amass an army and he hoped this would leave a clear message. The fact they had got away with this for so long was infuriating.   
Jane smirked widely at the memory. The moment they had seen her, they are had all cowered away. There had been a few stupid Vampires who thought they could take her on and they had been surely mistaken. It hadn’t taken long for Jane, Demetri and Santiago to dispose of them.   
“When questioned, they claimed they knew nothing about the attack on the Russian Witches or within Volterra,” Aro continued with a grim expression. From what he had seen, Vladimir and Stefan had vehemently denied any knowledge of either attack when Demetri and Santiago had confronted them.  
Caius scoffed, “But of course, we don’t believe them,” He then turned to Felix and Santiago, “Bring out the prisoner. I think it’s time for another chat,” The malicious gleam in Caius’ eyes promised pain and it took everything in Demi not to flinch. She hoped he would never look at her that way.  
Felix and Santiago nodded their heads and they headed towards the cells under the Throne Room. A few moments later, they emerged with Ajax in hand, holding him tightly so he couldn’t escape. When Demi saw him, she felt a sense of fear as she remembered what had happened two days previous. She breathed in deeply as she forced herself to calm down, not wanting to give away how scared she was. Felix and Santiago dragged Ajax into the middle of the room and he gave no reaction nor did he resist. They forced him onto his knees and held onto his arms, Felix grabbed him by his head and forced Ajax to look at Aro, Caius and Marcus.  
“Was your night in the cell comfortable?” Caius asked with a scornful smirk.  
Ajax said nothing and glared him, his eyes noticeably darker than usual due to his thirst. Ever since he had been in the cells, he had not been given any blood and he was starving.  
“Are you ready to talk yet?” Aro inquired mildly.   
Again, Ajax said nothing and his face expression revealed nought. Seeing they weren’t getting anything, Caius decided to push it further. “We paid a little visit to the Romanian Coven,” His voice became smug.  
This got a reaction. Ajax tensed under the hold of Santiago and Felix’s hold. “Why would you do that?” He asked nonchalantly as if this didn’t bother him, but his reaction had betrayed his words. This was something everyone in the room noticed, even Demi and her human eyes had noticed this reaction.  
“There was also an attack in Volterra yesterday. They attacked Demi but not before it was noted about their accents,” Aro answered simply.  
Ajax’ darkened eyes landed on Demi and she stood frozen. His gaze unnerved her and made her heart beat in her throat. She wanted to flee and hide from his gaze but she refused to back down so she met his eyes defiantly. “They have nothing to do with me,” Ajax said dismissively as his gaze moved back to Aro.  
Caius smirked, “Well too bad because we don’t believe you,” He motioned Jane forward and she obediently walked over to him. Once he saw her, Ajax tensed further as genuine fear shone in his eyes. “How about another session then?” Caius rhetorically asked with a fake thoughtful look. Behind the scenes, he had been visiting Ajax in the cells to get the information he wanted but Ajax had resisted him every time. Caius found that he rather enjoyed this as it allowed him to let go of any pent up frustration – like not being allowed to kill the Witch.  
Jane stepped forward and smirked, “Let me know if this hurts,” Her smirk grew larger as Ajax began to scream out when her power took effect. Ajax’s body convulsed in pain, making Felix and Santiago tighten their hold on him so they didn’t lose grip of him.  
Demi watched this happen with a blank expression. She felt no guilt for Ajax and didn’t care that he was in pain. She listened as Ajax’s screams grew louder as the pain got worse but he showed no sign of giving in. Through the pain, Demi could see the determination in his eyes but she didn’t understand why it was there. He might have just been defiant but Demi felt it was something else.  
“Enough,” Caius ordered.  
At his order, Jane stopped and watched smugly as Ajax slumped forward and breathed heavily, his body shook from the pain.  
“You’re very determined, I must say,” Caius commented as he watched Ajax carefully, “But, I wonder how long you can hold out,” He snapped his finger and Afton walked over to him, a medium-sized flask and a single wine glass in hand. He handed the items over to Caius and then walked back over to Chelsea.  
Demi frowned and she eyed the flask and wondered what was in there and what he had planned. She watched as he opened it and how Ajax visibly bristled. She looked at the other Guards and saw how relaxed they all seemed but their eyes had darkened ever so slightly. Caius poured the contents of the flask into the wine glass and that’s when Demi realised it was blood.  
Once the flask was empty, he tossed the flask aside and swirled the blood around like a fine wine. “You haven’t had a drink in a while, have you?” Caius asked tauntingly.  
The hunger in Ajax’s eyes was vibrant and it unnerved Demi slightly. His eyes darkened to the point they were black and an animalistic snarl was ripped from his lips and Demi flinched. The palms of her hands heated up as if ready to protect her from any threat. She wanted to leave the room and get as much distance away from Ajax as possible, the fear of being near a hungry Vampire was almost too much for her.  
It would seem as though Aro and Alec had spotted this discomfort, “Alec, take Demi away,” He ordered, his tone softer. It was dangerous to have a mortal so close to a starving Vampire and he didn’t want to take any risks. He was confident that Santiago and Felix could hold down Ajax but he could sense how uncomfortable Demi was from her heartbeat and he didn’t want that temptation for his Guards either.  
In a flash, Alec was by her side, “Of course,” Gently, he placed a hand on Demi’s arm and guided her out of the Throne Room, something she appreciated. As they left the room, Demi felt the urge to turn back and she did so, only to find Ajax staring at her with wild eyes.  
Demi and Alec walked out of the Throne Room in silence and he slowly led her to the library which wasn’t too far away but still held enough distance and up a few flights of stairs. Demi inhaled and exhaled slowly as she worked to slow down her own heart rate. Alec watched her closely, every breath she took and every twitch of her hand just in case she had a bad reaction. They walked into the library and Alec led her to the sitting area where they had first met at the back and she sat down, with Alec sitting down in the chair beside her.  
“Is this better?” Alec asked after a few moments of silence. He had given her a minute to calm down because he didn’t want to bombard her and cause her more stress.  
Nodding her head, Demi answered, “Yes, thank you.” She was grateful to be taken out of the room and away from Ajax. His eyes as she left had unnerved her and made a cold shiver run down her spine. They were cold and wild. It had made her feel as though she was the prey and she knew that if he got the chance, he wouldn’t hesitate.  
Alec nodded his head stiffly, “If I had known Caius was going to do that, I would have got you out sooner,” When he had seen Caius pull out the flask of blood, he had not been happy. Alec had been trying to ease Demi into the Vampire business and having a blood-hungry Vampire snarling like a beast wasn’t helping. He didn’t want Demi to have a negative view of the Volturi.  
Demi shook her head, “It is okay. I just needed a few moments to myself, I wasn’t expecting it,” She didn’t want Alec or anyone else in the Volturi to see her as weak.  
“Do you not deal well with the unexpected?” Alec asked curiously.  
Demi smiled faintly and nodded her head. She had always been like that and always liked to know what was happening.  
Alec grinned faintly, “Well that explains a lot,”  
Demi’s face flushed red at his words and was tempted to hide her face away but she stopped herself. “You’re never going to let that go, are you?” She asked with a sigh.  
“Probably not,” Alec replied back honestly. He had found their second meeting quite endearing and it was something he would look back on fondly.  
In exasperation, Demi shook her head and rolled her eyes. They both fell into a comfortable silence with Demi lost in her thoughts and Alec sitting calmly. Demi’s thoughts began to stray to Ajax and how strongly he had reacted to the blood in Caius’ hands. She wondered about why he reacted that intensely whereas the other Vampires hadn’t. Aro and Marcus hadn’t even flinched when Caius opened the flask. She couldn’t help but ponder about the Volturi’s feeding habits because she had never heard or seen anything.  
“Is the… hunger always that bad?” Demi hesitantly asked.  
Alec stilled for a moment as he seemed to contemplate his words carefully, “It can be. It depends on often a Vampire feeds,” He had considered not answering her and trying to distract her but he knew it was better, to be honest.  
Slowly, Demi nodded her head as she took in his words, “How often do you guys need to feed?” She asked lowly.  
“It depends on a few factors,” Alec answered back, “Age is a big one. The older a Vampire, the more control they usually have. The lessons you are taught at the beginning can affect your feeding habits. But, as it stands, we only need to feed once a week.” As an older Vampire, he had more control than a regular Vampire and he prided himself on his control. He had been around a lot of blood in his long life and he knew how to feed effectively without ruining his clothing and getting blood everywhere.  
Demi took in this information eagerly, “How old are you?”  
Alec smirked, “Quite a few centuries old,” There weren’t many Vampires in the Volturi that were older than him and Jane. However, because they were both turned when they were seventeen, people assumed that they are the youngest members of the Volturi and it used to annoy him before he realised he could use this to his advantage.  
Blinking slowly, Demi’s eyes widened slightly. She didn’t realise they were that old, “Wow. What was your favourite period?” She asked eagerly. She was sitting with someone who had lived through most things she had read about. Demi could only dream what it was like to live through different periods and so she was keen to know more.  
A thoughtful expression crossed his face, “The Renaissance was quite an interesting time.” He had watched as kingdoms were raised and how they had fallen. However, it was during the Renaissance that the Volturi threw quite a few parties and had enjoyed themselves. There were quite a few periods that he looked back on with fondness but he found he was enjoying this time in his life – though he knew it was because he had finally met his Mate.  
“That’s so cool,” Demi answered back.  
Alec looked ready to say something else, but he stopped himself and stood up. “I’m sorry, but Aro is calling for me,” Through his sharp heightened hearing, he had heard Aro ask for him to come back to the Throne Room and he suspected it was to use his powers on Ajax.  
Demi nodded her head, “That’s fine. I think I’ll just stay here and read some books,”  
“Okay, I hopefully won’t be too long,” Alec said before he smiled, “The best books I have read are over there,” He pointed to a nearby bookshelf before he walked away.  
Following where he pointed to, Demi jumped up from her seat and went over to view the books Alec had recommended. She was sure he had read most of the books in the library, something she was thoroughly jealous about. One thing she was jealous about was their lack of sleep – all that extra reading time was delightful.

TWILIGHT 

The meeting had finished but Ajax had refused to give any information, even with Alec and Jane’s intervention. Ajax had been escorted back down to the cells, where he would stay until he gave some useful information. Once the meeting was over, Jane had stormed off without even looking in Alec’s direction which made him sigh at her behaviour. He decided that this feud had gone on long enough and so he followed after her, wanting to sort this out. Alec missed his sister, he missed speaking to her about anything and hearing about her day. He even missed her nagging and venting. Alec knocked on her door and watched she opened it, looked directly at him and then slammed the door in his face. Alec sighed as he opened the door and stepped in and saw Jane sat on her bed, sulking.  
“What?” Jane hissed at him with furious eyes.  
“I’m sorry,” Alec said, “I took things too far and I am sorry it happened.” Ever since it had happened, he had felt guilty. He and his sister had little spats over the years but nothing to this extent before and he hated it.  
Jane frowned, “Is she still your Mate?”  
Alec sent her a pointed look, “Of course she is still my Mate,”  
“Then go away,” Jane said as she crossed her arms over to chest as she continued to sulk. She wanted nothing to do with him while that Witch was involved.  
“You know I can’t choose my Mate,” Alec answered back with a sigh in his tone. He knew this was something that couldn’t be changed – and so did she. He knew that Jane was just being stubborn and knew the more he pushed, the more she would dig her heels in.  
Saying nothing, Jane glared at him as if it was all his fault.  
“I have accepted her as my Mate. Please don’t make me chose,” Alec asked imploringly. He loved his sister dearly and he cared very much for Demi. He had hoped Jane would support him because he would support her when she eventually found her Mate.  
For a moment, Jane stared at him before she sighed. “I would never make you chose, I am not that selfish,” Jane knew that she could be demanding and she didn’t like to share. Admittedly, she’d never had to share her brother’s attention before she didn’t like it. Usually, her brother would always come to her defence and now things had changed.  
“Thank you,” Alec said gratefully.  
Jane watched him for a moment as if weighing up her options. “I probably took things too far as well,”  
Alec faintly smiled. He knew this was as good as he was going to get. Out of the two of them, he was the one who would apologise whereas his sister refused to apologise to anyone. Her pride would never allow her to admit she was wrong and Alec vaguely remembered her stubbornness even as a human.  
“But that doesn’t mean I approve,” Jane said haughtily. She would never approve of a Witch as her brother’s Mate.  
“I’ll take it,” Alec said in relief.  
Jane nodded her head sharply and her shoulders slowly relaxed. “Do you think I will ever find my Mate?” Her voice was low and shy. It was a side that Alec had not seen in some time ever since they joined the Volturi. Jane was the type of person who didn’t like to show weakness in front of people, even Aro who she respected gratefully. It was only Alec who got to see this softer side of Jane.  
Wordlessly, Alec walked over to Jane and sat down next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “I know you will, and when you do, I’ll be there.” Out of the two of them, it was Jane who had the least interest in finding her Mate but obviously, it had changed. Jane had never cared when Heidi and Demetri got together, or when Chelsea and Afton came to the Volturi together.  
Jane placed her hand over his and squeezed slightly, silently thanking him.


	14. Chapter 14

It was the afternoon on her seventh day and Demi was sat in her room reading a book. It was the day of the ball and Demi had yet to see another Guard as they were all too busy sorting everything out. She had only seen Alec, albeit briefly, and he informed her everyone would be busy with some last-minute preparation and also dealing with Ajax – who had yet to yield any information. For that day, Demi had worn a soft pink blouse with black dress pants black flats and no gloves insight. She was still not wearing the gloves and she was finding it to be quite liberating. That whole morning, Demi had spent it reading the books that Alec had read and she had not been disappointed, completely enthralled by the story in each hardback. A knock on the door made Demi glance up from her book. Placing a bookmarker to remember her place, she put the book down and walked over to the door to open it.

Heidi and Chelsea stood on the other side with kind smiles. “Afternoon, Demi,” Chelsea greeted politely.

Demi smiled, “Afternoon, is everything okay?” It wasn’t often that she got a visit from two Volturi Guards and it made her interested to know what happened.

“We’re just curious to know what you plan on wearing for the ball,” Heidi asked.

Demi shrugged, “I was just going to wear one of the black dresses I brought with me,” After the ambush in town three days previous, she had not gone back to get a dress for the ball. She still didn’t understand what kind of party it was but she hoped the black dress would be good enough. She had brought one formal dress that she had worn on special occasions in the Coven.

Heidi and Chelsea shared a frown, “Can we see the dress?” Chelsea asked with a tilt of her head.

Nodding her head, Demi walked over to the closet took out the dress. It was a black cocktail dress that was long-sleeved and came down to her knee. She had worn this dress during some important events at the Coven – not that she got invited to many to begin with.

Heidi and Chelsea looked at the dress with a critical eye and shook their heads. “It’s a nice dress, but not one that would suit the ball,” Chelsea said, her voice hesitant as if she didn’t want to offend her.

Panic filled Demi, “But… it’s all I have. What am I meant to do?” The shops would more than likely be closed and there was a possibility they wouldn’t have the stuff she needed that late in the afternoon.

Chelsea and Heidi shared a grin, “We thought this might be the case, so we got you a backup dress,” Chelsea said.

“Oh, you don’t have to!” Demi protested but she was dismissed by both female Vampires.

“It is fine. We wanted to help,” Heidi said with a shrug of her shoulders, “You didn’t get a chance because of the ambush,”

“But maybe…” Chelsea seemed hesitation and almost embarrassed, something that surprised Demi. Heidi rolled her eyes and elbowed Chelsea, making she finish what she was going to say. “…we can get ready together?”

Blinking slowly, Demi was taken aback. She never expected to see a Vampire look so bashful and it made her smile. “That would be great. I have no make-up or hair skills whatsoever so I am definitely going to need some help,” She would probably need as much help as she was going to get. Demi was slightly envious of Heidi and Chelsea’s make-up skills because of how gorgeous they were all the time. Every time Demi saw them, their hair and make-up were always impeccable to the point she felt self-conscious about her own appearance.

Heidi looked down at her watch, “We have a few hours to get ready. That should be plenty of time. We can get ready in my room,” She knew from past experience that it wouldn’t take long for her and Chelsea to get ready, but she had never helped a human get ready before. Since she was dealing with the unknown, she decided to account for some extra time.

Demi nodded her head, “Okay, I’m just going to shower,” She needed to wash her hair and shave and that was going to take some time for her to do. Her hair needed a deep condition otherwise she wouldn’t be able to do anything with her hair. There were some days she struggled to even run a comb through her hair.

Chelsea smiled brightly, “That’s fine, and I’ll come to get you when you’re done,”

“See you in a bit!” Heidi said as she dragged Chelsea away so they could get things ready. As they walked away, they were whispering with one another the different ideas. As much as they loved the actuals gatherings, it was the getting ready for it they both enjoyed more than anything.

Demi watched them go with a fond smile before she closed the door. She immediately headed into her bathroom and got a shower, using the vanilla shower gel and her usual shampoo and conditioner. After twenty minutes, she was done and wrapped a fluffy white towel over herself. She looked down at her legs, saw the hair and decided to shave it all off. It took another twenty minutes before she was freshly shaved and smooth. She stepped out of the bathroom and grabbed some underwear and put on a pair of fluffy PJs and slippers before she grabbed her make-up kit. She opened the door and saw Chelsea standing on the other side.

“Ready?” Chelsea asked with a smile.

“Yep,” Demi answered back.

Smile widening, Chelsea let Demi to Heidi’s room. It was only one floor above Demi’s room and not that many stairs away. When they arrived at Heidi’s room, she was surprised by the grandness of her room. If Demi thought her room was fancy then she was in for a surprise because Heidi’s room was twice as better. Heidi’s bed was a king-sized one, the finest silks filled the room, the wardrobe was massive and the vanity mirror was filled with loads of products like make-up and perfumes. Heidi was sat at her vanity in a short black dressing gown and her hair slightly wet.

“The showers free, Chels,” Heidi said as she put some product in her hair.

“Thank you!” Chelsea said as she disappeared into the ensuite nearby. Demi blinked and she was gone and for a moment, she didn’t know what happened.

“She seems excited,” Demi said as she walked further into the room. She could hear the sound of running water and assumed Chelsea may not be able to hear as well.

Heidi grinned slightly and turned her head, “She doesn’t have many girlfriends so she gets a little enthusiastic,” There were plenty of females within the Volturi but none that Chelsea was close to. Due to how high Chelsea was regarded by Aro, others were jealous and could be quite cold to her and Afton.

“Is Jane going to be joining?” Demi asked hesitantly. She didn’t know how she would feel about being in an enclosed space with the female Vampire because she was scared Jane would do something.

Heidi laughed and shook her head, “No, she never joins in with getting ready with us.” In the beginning, they used to invite Jane, but she always turned down the invitation and would make a rude comment and so they stopped asking her.

Chelsea came out of the bathroom dressed in a dark green dressing gown, “That feels so much better,"

“Now, let’s get started,” Heidi stood up, her make-up done to perfection. 

Hours passed and they were all done. Heidi was really good at make-up and had done Demi and Chelsea’s make-up whereas Chelsea was really good at doing people’s hair. Heidi and Chelsea had got ready first and they all sat and prattled with one another about everything and anything and Demi felt herself really loosening up. As they chatted, Heidi had run out to grab some food for Demi when her stomach had made a dying whale sound and she came with a lot of food and wine glasses filled with blood for herself and Chelsea. Heidi was dressed in a red gown that floated just off the ground and had a slit running up the leg. It was an off the shoulder velvet dress with a sweetheart neckline. She paired it with red stilettos and with ruby earrings, a matching necklace and a gold band in her wrist. Her hair was styled in an elegant side bun and she looked absolutely stunning. Her make-up was dark and smoky with a matching red lip. Chelsea wore a navy blue floor-length gown with a plunging V-neck. It had a very low back decorated sequins that looked expensive. Chelsea had matched her dress with black stilettos, sapphire earrings, a necklace and a bracelet with her hair in a stylish ponytail that flowed down her back. Her make-up was similar to Heidi’s only there was more silver in the eyeshadow and her lips where a lighter red colour. Lastly, Demi was dressed in an emerald green halter neck gown with a diamante trim around the neckline that fit her body like a glove. Demi wore silver strapped small shoe with a small heel – much to her instance – emerald earrings and a matching necklace. Chelsea had straightened Demi’s hair and it now just hit her shoulders and her make-up was light, with pink eyeshadow and a pink glossy lip.

Demi looked at herself in the mirror and was in awe. She had never considered herself to be pretty but even she could admit she looked appealing. She looked less like a child and more like mature, something she was extremely happy about. She looked at her borrowed necklace and earrings with slight hesitation for several reasons. Firstly, she knew that the stones were actual emeralds and secondly, she had removed yet another three repressors. The moment they were removed her fire hummed in relief, something Demi didn’t miss. Now, she only had on the ring and that was under her instance. Heidi and Chelsea had agreed that the necklace and the bracelets hadn’t matched her outfit and so Demi had folded on this. However, it felt good and she felt freer than she ever had in a long time.

“What is this part for again?” Demi asked as she couldn’t stop looking at herself. She couldn’t help but wonder why this party was happening in the first place but she hadn’t had the opportunity to ask before this moment. It had made her curious to know if they were celebrating anything or if this was a tradition. 

Admiring herself in the mirror, Heidi answered. “It’s just Aro throwing a party. He doesn’t need a reason,” She shared an amused look with Chelsea. 

“But he does like to show off,” Chelsea admitted with a giggle before she noticed the time. “The party is about to start. We should head down,” 

“Let’s go then,” Heidi said with a smirk.

Demi nodded as she breathed in deeply. 

TWILIGHT 

By the time Heidi, Chelsea and Demi made it down to the Ball Room, the party had already started. This was the part of the castle Demi had not been in before, not because she wasn’t allowed but as Santiago or Alec had not brought her there and she had never asked. Classical music was playing in the background but Demi didn’t see a band anywhere so she guessed there were some speakers around the room to make the sound travel because she heard it long before they arrived at the Ball Room. It had been decorated with crystals all around the room and ceiling, giving it a shining star effect. There were loads of guests, all Vampire who were all dressed to the nines.

“Oh, wow,” Demi said as her eyes widened. There had been parties in the Blackthorn Coven but nothing this extravagant. Their typical venue was either out in the forest – weather depending – or in the cottage. 

Chelsea smiled, “Yes, Aro does like to throw parties. He went through a phase when he had a party every week,” There was nothing Aro loved more than throwing parties. Every time there was a new Guard, there was a party. If it was their birthday, there was a party. 

Heidi laughed, “Oh I remember that! He would always try and outdo himself every time but eventually, Caius had to put a stop to it,”

Looking around, Demi could see many Vampires and it was a little intimidating. From what she could see, she was the only mortal present and it made her nervous. As if sensing her nerves, Chelsea placed a hand on her shoulder. “Just keep near one of us and you’ll be fine.”

“Just keep away from the Egyptian Vampires,” Heidi warned lowly as she sent a glance over to where the Coven stood. The Volturi and the Egyptian Coven didn’t have the best relationship and it was best not to aggravate the situation. Amun was still very bitter about Demetri leaving the Coven and about the Volturi taking over. Amun was very protective of his Coven members, especially the gifted ones because others had left him in the past. The Volturi were aware of Benjamin – who was conveniently missing from the party – but had decided to leave him where he was until Amun did something to upset the Volturi.

Demi nodded her head and inhaled deeply. She had to mentally remind herself that she was safe and that no one would harm her. Subconsciously, Demi reached for the earrings but found that she had replaced her usual ones with the emeralds Heidi had lent her. She reminded herself not to lose them and it worried her how expensive they were. 

“Let’s go mingle, girls,” Chelsea said as she linked Heidi’s arm with her own and gently did the same with Demi, mindful not to use too much force. They walked further into the room and Demi smiled at everyone who looked in her direction.

Most Vampires looked shocked to see her, but most wouldn’t meet her eyes and Demi didn’t blame them. She was associating around with two powerful Volturi Guards as if nothing was wrong. Besides, she was a Witch and she knew they wouldn’t want to accidentally do or say anything that could upset the Treaty. The Volturi took the Treaty very seriously as did the Blackthorn Witches. Demi had noticed that a lot of Lower Guards within the Volturi wouldn’t even look in her direction when in the castle but she suspected this may be because Alec was her guide and nearly everyone was scared of him.

After a few seconds of walking around, they found the Three Kings and two female Vampires stood next to them. They were all dressed in similar black tuxedoes that looked very soft to the touch and expensive. Aro spotted them and smiled widely, “Demi, I am so glad you could make it. Don’t you look stunning,” He looked over to Caius and nudged him, “Doesn’t she look stunning?”

Caius sneered as he looked at her, making her nervous. “She’s passable,” He said before he looked away. Marcus briefly looked at Demi before looking away with a void expression.

The woman next to him rolled her eyes, “Don’t mind him, he’s just grouchy,” The woman was beautiful with fair-hair, powdery white skin and red eyes. She wore a royal purple dress that fit her like a glove and made her look like a queen.

Caius sent the woman a glare but she returned the look as if silently challenging him. Eventually, he sighed, “Whatever,” He muttered under his breath.

The woman shook her head in exasperation, “Ignore him. My name is Athenodora, and you are Demi?” She asked politely. She had not heard much from her husband in regards to the Witch, only from what she had heard from Aro and Sulpicia but she discerned this was because Caius did not like Witches.

Demi snapped out of her stupor and nodded her head vigorously, “Yes! It is a pleasure to meet you,” She answered nervously. She almost couldn’t believe who was in front of her. Demi had thought she would never meet Athenodora because she heard they were always locked away in a tower but it seemed as though it wasn’t the case. 

Athenodora smiled softly, “Aren’t you precious. Why haven’t I met her before?” She asked as she turned to face her husband and Mate. 

“I am sorry, Athenodora, but things have been a bit hectic,” Aro answered for Caius with ease. He then turned to Demi, “This is my wife, Sulpicia,” He looked over to his wife and Mate with adoration in his eyes. Sulpicia was beautiful, just like her Mate. She was tall and willowy with messy thick black hair, paper white skin and massive red eyes. She was dressed in an off the shoulder floor-length black dress that looked stunning on her. 

“It’s lovely to meet you. Aro has mentioned you a few times,” Sulpicia said with a knowing smile. She had heard all about the Witch from her husband and how he couldn’t read her mind. Sulpicia had never seen her husband so interested in a Witch before. It amused Sulpicia greatly because he was so enthralled by the silence in her mind. 

Demi flushed red at the attention, “Thank you,” 

Sulpicia and Aro shared a look and laughed with one another. Athenodora smiled along with them, “How are you finding the party, Demi?” Athenodora asked in interest. 

“It’s lovely,” Demi answered honestly.

Just then the music changed and it sounded like a slow dance. Sulpicia and Athenodora looked at their Mates expectantly and they couldn’t be denied. Aro and Caius took their Mates hands and led them to the dancefloor. Marcus seemed to silently drift to the side, not wanting to participate in the dancing and Demi turned around to do the same. She spotted Heidi and Demetri dancing with one another, soft and loving smiles on their faces. Chelsea and Afton were not too far away from them, looking very much loved up that it was almost suffocating. Deciding to leave the dancefloor, she went to follow after Marcus but was stopped when a hand tapped her shoulder. 

Turning around, she found Felix stood there with his arm stretched out. “May I have this dance?” He asked with a grin. 

Demi smiled back, “You may,” She took his hand and allowed him to lead her in the dance. She didn’t know what the dance was at first but she was relieved when she found it was a Waltz. Demi wasn’t very good at dancing but she could Waltz because Camille had made her practice it for any events that happened. 

“Got into any more fights lately?” Demi asked with a grin. 

Felix looked at her innocently, “Fighting? Me?” 

Demi laughed, not able to resist it. The innocent look did not suit Felix at all and it made him look like a big baby. Felix wasn’t able to keep up the act and ended up laughing with her, his laugh booming across the room and bounced off the walls. As they danced, Felix twirled her and he did so, she had a good look around the Ball Room and soon spotted Alec and she frowned. He was surrounded by female Vampire. “He looks popular,” Demi commented, trying to act nonchalantly but failed. She didn’t know why, but seeing him surrounded by beautiful females Vampires made her feel uncomfortable at the thought of him being close to them. 

Felix followed her gaze and found Alec. There were at least five females that surrounded him, all paying him compliments and asking him to dance. With his sharpened hearing and sight, he could see how annoyed Alec looked and how he was denying them. When Felix looked down at Demi, he grinned mischievously, “Oh, he’s very popular with the females. Sometimes he has a new one every week,” 

Pain filled Demi as though she had been physically struck, “Oh…” She didn’t know how to take this. She had no idea that Alec was such a player and it filled her with anger and hurt. Thoughts swirled in her mind and everything was becoming too much to the point she felt the urge to burn something. “Excuse me,” Demi pulled away from Felix and walked off the dance floor, needing to get away before she had an accident.

Jane watched Demi walk away and she went over to Felix, “What’s she so upset about?” She asked with a sneer. Everything about the Witch disgusted her and she was sure the Witch was being overdramatic but at the same time, she was curious to know what Felix had said to make the Witch look so crushed. 

Felix looked down to Jane and shrugged his shoulders, “I don’t know. I just said how Alec is very popular with the ladies,” His eyebrows wiggled suggestively as he laughed. 

Jane’s eyes widened a fraction, “You said what?!” 

“It was a harmless prank,” Felix defended wearily. He didn’t see what the issue was, it was just a harmless comment. 

Anger filled Jane and she was tempted to use her powers in Felix for his foolishness but she refrained. Aro had asked her not to use her powers on her fellow Guards at the Ball because he didn’t want to scare others but this crossed the line. She flashed away from Felix and next to her brother. She glared at all the women and scared them off, silently daring them to question her authority. Jane never liked it when the strumpets flirted with Alec anyway and she would always terrorise them. All the females fled the area before they incurred her wrath – a smart move. 

“Thank you, they were annoying,” Alec said in relief. Every time the Volturi held a Ball, he would always be surrounded by women and it only got worse when Demetri found his Mate. Originally, it was Demetri who could keep most of the women’s company and attention, but then he found Heidi and that all changed. Now, the female Vampires came over to Alec, hoping to catch his attention and he refused to entertain them. 

“Don’t thank me yet,” Jane said with a severe voice, “But your Witch saw you with the women and Felix basically told her you’re a man whore,”

Alec visibly bristled as his eyes blazed in anger. “I’m going to kill him,” His inner beast roared to make Felix eat those words. There was no way he would even look at another woman that wasn’t his Mate especially in the same room as her. His darkened eyes searched for Demi only to find her slipping out into a balcony on the other side of the Ball Room. Within a blink of the eye, Alec was gone and followed after her. He needed to reassure her that Felix’s words weren’t true. 

Jane watched him go with a blank expression. She grabbed a nearby glass that was filled with blood and drank from it, soothing the ache in her throat. 

“Do my eyes deceive me? You just helped someone,” Heidi said with a smirk. She had seen everything and she had been about to intervene when Jane got there before her. Mentally, she cursed herself because she should have warned Demi what usually happened during the parties but she had been distracted by Demetri. 

Jane rolled her eyes, “Maybe you should get your eyes checked,” 

Heidi’s smirk grew teasingly, “Oh honey, I’m already perfect.” 

Physically sighing, Jane walked away from Heidi, not wanting to put up with her. Jane felt conflicted as she took another sip from her wine glass filled with blood. On one hand, she detested the Witch with a passion and loathed the fact she was Alec’s Mate. However, on the other hand, she wanted her brother to be happy because he deserved it. Jane downed the rest of her blood before placing it down on a nearby table and she walked away. 

TWILIGHT 

Looking at the view from the balcony, Demi let herself relax. It was dark outside and there was a slight chill in the air but she didn’t feel the cold. Demi inhaled and exhaled deeply and slowly her nerves began to calm down and settle until she was composed. Demi looked up at the stars that illuminated the sky and a half-moon that hung in the sky. If she thought Volterra was beautiful in the daylight then it was mesmerising in the moonlight. Her thoughts strayed to the scene from before, how Alec was surrounded by beautiful Vampires and it made her heart clench painfully. She didn’t know why but the thought of him being with even one of them made her skin crawl. A throat clearing from behind her snapped her out of thoughts. Turning her head, she saw Alec stood a few feet away from her, looking very handsome. He wore a black three-piece suit with an emerald green shirt. There was something about him wearing a suit that made her heart quicken slightly because he looked very dashing. 

“Are you alright?” Alec asked, his brows furrowed in concern. 

Demi flashed him a fake smile, “Yes, I’m fine.” It’s not like she could tell him the truth because she didn’t understand the truth. She had never had this reaction before in the past and it made her feel silly for how she stormed out. 

“I heard what Felix said,” Alec said, fibbing slightly, “What he said holds no truth,” He didn’t want her to think of him as a player because he wasn’t. He hated it when women threw themselves at him as he thought it to be demeaning and he thought they should have more respect for themselves. 

His words almost made her sigh in relief, but she shook her head. “It doesn’t matter if his words are true or not. It’s not really any of my business,” Her words came out more bitter than what she expected but she meant every word.

Alec watched her for a moment and could see how uncomfortable she was and decided to move on, “You look beautiful,” He said earnestly. He had spotted her when she walked in with Heidi and Chelsea and he had wanted to greet her but he had been pulled away. Aro had every one to be on their best behaviour otherwise he would have just walked away from them.

Demi glanced at him and smiled faintly, her cheeks flushed red, “Thank you.” She wanted to return the compliment but she found that her brain wouldn’t work.

The music in the Ball Room changed suddenly and Alec’s head perked up. It was a song he quite enjoyed and an idea sprung to mind. He held out his hand, “Would you like to dance?” He asked lowly.

Demi looked at him in surprise, “With me?”

Alec nodded his head, “I quite like this song,”

Slowly, Demi moved away from the balcony and took Alec’s hand, nearly gasping at the sudden cold. Her skin was hotter than most but Alec’s colder touch sent a shiver down her spine. Gently grasping her hand, Alec pulled her closer so they mere inches apart from another. Demi looked up at Alec and felt her face warm with how close they were. Up close, she could see him even clearer than before, she always thought he was handsome but up close he was even more so. As the music grew louder, they swayed to the music and Demi felt herself relaxing the more they danced. The rhythm of the dance was calming and although the music was faint to her, she could still hear it. The song ended sooner than Demi realised and soon they were stood on the balcony but had not let go of each other just yet. Alec was very reluctant to let go because he was happy to have his Mate in his arms, and he revelled in her warmer temperature, though it did concern him slightly because he was sure humans weren’t meant to be that warm. Demi looked up at him and their eyes met making her heart speed up. Alec smiled at the sound, the heartbeat like a lullaby to him.

Alec opened his mouth to speak but he stood straight when he heard a scream come from the Ball Room. Demi’s head snapped in the direction of the Ball Room wondering what the noise was. Swiftly, they made their way into the Ball Room, Alec’s hand in Demi’s as he didn’t want them to be separated. As soon as they stepped into the Ball Room, they saw what had caused the commotion. The body of a Witch hung from the ceiling of the Ball Room, her neck was snapped in a gruesome and violent manner and her face was morphed in terror. The Witch was young and someone Demi recognised from the UK Coven.

Demi gasped when saw the mangled body. Alec promptly grabbed her by the waist with one hand and hid her face in his chest so she didn’t have to look at such a gruesome sight. Alec did a quick sweep around the room to make sure there was no threat to Demi and found none. Demi shook in his arms, not able to believe what she had just seen. Without a second thought, Alec picked Demi up bridal style and flashed out of the room, the safety of his Mate taking presidents over anything else.

Aro, who was closest to the body, walked up to the dead Witch and spotted a note attached to it. Within the blink of the eye, he had jumped up and grabbed the note before returning to the ground. His eyes scanned the note and they darkened in anger. He silently passed the note to Caius who then passed it to Marcus. Clearing his throat, Aro addressed the curious crowed, “Tonight’s Ball has drawn to a close. Please leave cordially,”

It took seconds before every Vampire that wasn’t part of the Guard to file out. Once they were alone, Jane stepped forward, “What was on the note, My Lords?” Her voice was the only sound in the Ball Room, everyone far too focused on the dead Witch’s body. 

This question seemed to snap everyone out of their silent shock. Caius grabbed the note from his wife and ripped it to shreds, “This means war!” He roared, the sound echoing throughout the castle.


	15. Chapter 15

Demi walked down the steps to the dungeon the afternoon of her eighth day, the torches of fire on the walls being the only light provided for her to see. She had come in through one of the other entrance to the dungeon and not from the door in the Throne Room. According to Alec, there were three entrances into the dungeons and she was using the one that was hardly used and only known by a certain number of people. The only sound in the stairwell was her footsteps and her breathing, which was slightly laboured with how many steps she was having to walk down. She had specially asked to speak with Ajax because she had a hunch and at first Alec was extremely reluctant, especially after the spectacle the day before. However, he relented and had asked Aro for permission, who granted access under the assumption that she would report back what happened to him afterwards, something she readily agreed to. Alec had wanted to come with her but Caius had refused as he believed Ajax would lower his guard around Demi if she came alone and she was inclined to agree. She wouldn’t be seen as a threat, or at least not a huge one like Jane or Caius. For the past few days, Caius had not been able to get anything from Ajax as he was still not speaking at all and Caius was getting very frustrated.  
It took ten more minutes before Demi reached the bottom and she headed towards the holding cells. It was a simple layout – only ten cells that were all mostly empty as there was only one inhabitant. Demi counted in her head until she came across the sixth cell, the one that housed Ajax. Ajax was chained down with shackles that had been charmed by Witches and Vampire bone – a very strong and powerful material that was unbreakable, even to Vampires. He had chains around his neck, arms and ankles with each chain connected to the wall for extra security. The cell that he was in was also charmed by Witches to keep prisoners in unless they had express permission to leave. Seeing how cuffed up he was made Demi feel safe as there was no sense of danger.  
Nostrils flaring at the new scent, Ajax smirked. “Hello, little Witch. I see you didn’t take my advice,” His voice was low, gruff and his eyes were pitch black. Ever since he had been captured, he had not been given a drop of blood and he was starving. He would have accepted anything at this point, even animal blood, but the Witch’s scent was absolutely divine and it made him even more ravenous.   
“I am perfectly safe where I am,” Demi answered back confidently. Ever since coming to the Volturi, she had been safe. The only time she had been in any danger was outside the castle and the perpetrators were Vampires who didn’t belong in the Volturi. Even finding a dead Witch in the castle hadn’t made her feel unsafe because she knew Alec would always be there and she knew she could protect herself if it came down to it. Her fire hummed at her confidence and it made Demi feel more at ease.  
“But for how long?” Ajax shot back.  
Demi’s gaze narrowed, “Are you insinuating I am in danger?”  
Ajax smirked but chose not to say anything. Demi watched him for a few moments as if debating what to say next. Ever since the attack from the day before, Demi had plenty of time to think. After Alec had whisked her away, he had taken her back to her room where she didn’t emerge from until that morning for her own protection, something both she and Alec agreed on. Someone had managed to slip past the Volturi with a dead Witch while they were all preoccupied with the Ball. Caius was not happy, he was adamant that someone had done this to humiliate them and it had angered him to the point that not even Athenodora could calm him down fully. Alec had visited her again that morning and informed her that the castle was safe and there was no intruders but that also meant that was no trail and Demetri couldn’t track whoever this person was.   
“There was an incident last night, but I am not too sure if you are aware. A dead Witch was found during the Ball,” Demi said her tone light despite how ghastly the situation was.  
“Sounds like my kind of party,” Ajax answered back unperturbed.  
Demi hummed in thought, “I thought as much considering how you seem to be against this Treaty,”  
Ajax looked up and met her green eyes, “Now what are you implying, little Witch?”  
Demi shrugged her shoulders, “Who knows? All I am saying is that things don’t add up,” When Ajax said nothing, she continued, “I find it curious that the Romanian Coven entered Volterra as soon as you were captured. As far as I was aware, they haven’t entered the city in a millennia,” She had spent a lot of time researching the Romanian Coven especially after they had attacked her. She had also been picking Alec’s brain for any additional information and he had been very helpful.  
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ajax answered back, his eyes tightened.  
“Oh, I think I do,” Demi replied with a grin, “One thing you should be aware of is that I don’t miss things. I watch and observe and I’ve seen quite a few things that don’t make sense,” She had made a mental list in her head and it was getting too big to ignore. She needed these answers for the sake of this Treaty and her own sanity.  
Ajax relaxed and smirked once more, “Amuse me then, Witch,”  
“Okay,” Demi readily said, waiting for this moment for a while. “I think you’re part of the Romanian Coven and you must be pretty high up for them to come and rescue you, meaning you must be special, but I am leaning more towards gifted.” She watched in satisfaction as he stiffened at her words.  
“The Romanians have never used Vampires with gifts,” Ajax interjected and Demi nodded her head at his words.  
“Correct,” Demi said in agreement, “But that was the past and this is now. They must have realised their mistake of only relying on brute strength because it was two very gifted Vampires there was their downfall.” It was maddening to think they would turn away gifted Vampires but if there truly was another potential uprising on the horizon then she needed to consider every possibility, “And this makes me wonder what other arsenals you have,” Demi continued on with monologue as she was on a roll, “To answer that question, I believe that magic is involved. There was no way that someone could get past all the Guards and all the Vampires in the Ball the previous night. The only explanation is magic,” She may not have been able to use magic, but she was aware of all the spells and charms because she has read through the spell books within the Coven. Some spells can make a scent disappear so no one can track them and many others as well as invisibility spells.  
Ajax visibly bristled at her words.  
Demi smirked, “Have I amused you enough?”  
“…How?” Ajax questioned lowly. Not even the Volturi had made the connection. They had suspected he was part of the Romanian Coven but none of them had suspected magic was involved or that he was gifted because it didn’t fit the Romanian’s usual agenda.  
“I’m a Witch,” Demi answered simply. She may have not have been able to use magic, but she could brew potions and herbal remedies better than most Elders within her Coven. However, even without her magical abilities, she could still sense magic in the air. When she was younger, Demi didn’t have this ability but after her fire powers revealed themselves she had been able to identify when magic was used through her sense of taste. She had kept quiet for the time being because she wasn’t fully sure and had doubted herself but now she was sure magic was involved.  
Ajax’s gaze dropped to the ground.  
“Who is the Witch?” Demi demanded.  
Ajax arched a brow, “What makes you think it’s not a Warlock?”  
Demi rolled her eyes, “Warlocks are heavily favoured, and there is no way they would rebel. It has to be a Witch,” Due to how little Warlocks there were, they were treated with more respect than Witches. They were even more protected under the Treaty so there was no one would even try to fight against it.  
Ajax regarded her with a critical gaze, “You have been severely underestimated,” When Demi said nothing he sighed unnecessarily, “I do not know who the Witch is, but you’re right, it is a Witch. I never met with her, it was always Vladimir that meets with her.”  
Demi hummed as she took in this information, “How long has this been going on?”  
Ajax tried to shrug but he was stopped under his restraints, which made a horrible sound as they moved, “I’ve only been with them for a year. I belonged to another Coven previously but I left. During the year I have been there, she’s been meeting with Vladimir,”  
Slowly, Demi nodded as she took in his words. She suspected that this plan had been going a lot longer than a year because everything seemed so meretriciously planned, “Why was your partner killed?” She asked, remembering how Demetri and Santiago had found a burnt body of the second attacker.  
“There couldn’t be any loose ends. I was to kill Mihai and then myself but that didn’t end up happening,” He scowled at the memory. Mihai knew about their mission and had let himself be torn apart and killed but when Ajax was about to set himself alight, Demetri and Santiago appeared and stopped him.  
Demi arched a brow. This piece of information meant she wasn’t fully wrong about how important he was, but he was essential to the Romanian Coven as long as he was dead so he didn’t give away any information. “What do they have on you?”  
“Do you doubt I am loyal to the Romanian Coven?” Ajax asked, amused by her question.  
“Yes,” Demi answered back immediately, “You seemed unusually determined, what for I don’t know. You wouldn’t be telling me this if your loyalty to them was unwavering which means it’s something else,” The fact he was even speaking to her was shocking, to say the least. She had expected him to remain silent the entire time but she was hopeful when he started to talk to her.  
Sadness filled his eyes, “Right again, Witch. They have my Mate.”  
Confusion filled Demi. She had very little understanding of this term so she didn’t fully understand the full severity of what he had said. Demi wasn’t afraid to admit that her knowledge around this subject was very limited and she knew she needed to brush up on this more. They didn’t have Mates in her Coven and so she never saw a reason to investigate further but now she regretted this decision. “What’s your Mate’s name?”   
Ajax smiled for the first time, “His name Galen. I met him nearly two hundred years ago when I was a nomad.” He remembered the day he first met his Galen fondly and it was the day he would never forget. It was the thought of his Mate that got him through each torture session.  
Demi smiled faintly. She could see the love in his eyes that he genuinely cared for his Mate. “The attack on the Russian Coven, it was to try and break the Treaty, wasn’t it?”  
Ajax nodded his head, “It was.”  
“Thank you. I will ask the Kings to be lenient,” Demi said as she turned around to walk away, but she stopped when he called out for her.  
“Wait,” Ajax said as he tried to move but his binds didn’t allow him any room. Demi turned around and tilted her head imploringly. Seeing his chance, Ajax spoke slowly, “When they kill me, please let it be swift,” He knew there was no way he was getting out of here alive, but he would rather it be quick. When the news of his death became public knowledge, he didn’t want Galen to think he suffered.  
Slowly, Demi nodded her head before she walked out of the dungeons.

TWILIGHT 

Twenty minutes had passed and Demi had called a meeting with the Three Kings. After she had seen Ajax, she had gone to Alec and then asked him to pass on this request and he had done this without question. Now, Demi sat in the Meeting Room in front of Aro, Caius and Marcus with Alec stood on the behind Demi just a few feet away. Aro, Caius and Marcus were sat in their thrones and Demi was sat in the place she had when the meetings had started, on Marcus’ side.   
“I trust you managed to find out some information,” Aro began as he sat comfortably in his seat. Caius’ resting face was similar to a glower and Marcus remained void of any emotion.  
Demi nodded her head, “I have. I have had a suspicion for a while but I wanted to confirm it first and Ajax did it for me. He is part of the Romanian Coven but he was supposed to kill himself and his partner, Mihai before they were caught but he didn’t get the chance to kill himself. He was ordered by Vladimir and Stefan to attack the Russian Coven to try and break the Treaty and he did so because they have his Mate held captive,” While she didn’t condone what Ajax had done, she could understand to an extent why he had done this.  
Aro hummed in thought whereas Caius scowled darkly, “And you really expect for us to believe this? That he would offer this information freely? It could be completely false for all we know,” He demanded with a harsh expression.  
“I understand it seems farfetched and that thought had crossed my mind also. But, I believe him.” Demi replied back honestly. While speaking with Ajax, she didn’t recognise any deceptive tactics and she believed that he lowered his guard around her – for what reason she wasn’t sure. “I also believe him to be gifted,”  
“Oh?” Aro perked up, his eyes brightened up immediately, “What makes you think this?”  
Demi wet her lips before she spoke, “When you touched him, he looked smug. It was as if he knew you wouldn’t be able to read his mind.” This was something that stuck out to her because most Vampires was scared of Aro and his gift since they could hide nothing. However, Ajax held none of that fear.  
“We will send word for Eleazar, we can soon confirm this,” Aro said as he looked to his brother for confirmation. They all found it odd that the Romanian Coven would use gifted Vampires when they had never done this before.  
Caius turned to Demi, “And what else did he say?”  
Demi felt surprised that he addressed her in a non-threatening manner but went along with it. “Since he has only been with them a year, he couldn’t tell me exactly how long they had been planning this I suspect it may be longer,”  
Aro and Caius shared a look and nodded their heads, “Thank you for reporting back,” Aro said gratefully.  
“There is one more thing,” Demi admitted hesitantly, catching everyone’s attention in the room, “I have had this suspicion for a while but I was never sure until now. But I believe magic is involved,” As she spoke, she felt like she was betraying her own Coven even though she wasn’t. Demi was being honest and trying to ensure the Treaty remained intact.  
Everyone still in the room and no one made a sound, not even Demi who held her breath, “What makes you say this?” Aro asked curiously as he shot a glance at Caius who looked downright livid. Even Marcus seemed to have tuned into this conversation.  
Demi swallowed thickly, she could even feel Alec’s gaze on her, “I have sensed magic being used. The magic that didn’t belong to Silvia. Ajax confirmed that Vladimir has been in contact with a Witch but Ajax has never met her,” Silvia was a woman within the UK Coven. Demi didn’t know her personally because the UK Coven weren’t the biggest fan on of Camille but from she knew, Silvia was a powerful Witch.  
Caius snarled darkly as he stood up from his seat in a threatening manner, “And how do we know you aren’t aiding them?”  
A low growl echoed from behind her where Alec stood, but Demi ignored it. “No! I am here to ensure the Treaty remains intact. This Witch is acting purely alone!” When he has accused her, she panicked and heat immediately travelled to her hands. She didn’t want any of the Volturi to think she was part of the scheme to ruin the Treaty. There was no way she was part of this scheme as she didn’t have magic in the first place – not that she could admit that.  
Caius growled lowly but was stopped when Aro raised his hand and sent him a pointed look, warning him to behave. Aro turned to Demi, “You could have chosen not to inform us of this and this shows your characters and your intentions. I am willing to believe you,”  
Demi sighed in relief, “Thank you,”  
Aro turned to his brothers, “This is an unprecedented time, a Witch and Vampires working together to bring down the Treaty. If this is truly the case then we need to be more careful.” Aro had seen the full extent of magic and it was powerful – maybe even powerful enough to kill a Vampire. Witches and Warlocks were powerful in their right and shouldn’t be underestimated. However, if a Witch and Vampire were working together they could unstoppable and they needed to approach this with caution.  
“I am more than happy to offer my services,” Demi added in.  
Caius sent her a mistrustful glare, “How can we be sure you’re really on our side?” Witches he had come across in the past had always stuck with one another. It was odd to see a Witch not automatically defend each other.  
“What this Witch is doing is wrong,” Demi said she shook her head, “They have killed seven of their own which is unnatural. She does not represent us,” From what she understood, Witches did not want another war with Vampires because of how brutal the last one had been. There had been too many casualties suffered and most Witches and Warlocks just wanted to lead a peaceful life – Demi being one of them.  
Aro nodded his head in agreement, “Well said,” He sent a look to Alec and Demi missed this exchange. Alec stared at Demi with a proud gleam in his eyes. “Alec, I want you to scout out the area for any Romanians, would you like to go with him?” Aro looked to Demi.  
Demi’s eyes lit up, “I would yes if that’s okay?” She looked at Alec to make sure he was okay with her going with him.  
Alec hesitated for a moment before he nodded his head in agreement. “There will be no issues with you coming with,” At first, he was unsure whether accept this offer but he knew there wasn’t any danger. He had scouted the area many times before and there had been no issue before.  
“Then it’s settled.” Aro said as he stood up, indicating that the meeting was over, “We will expect you back within a few hours to report back.” Caius and Marcus followed suit and followed after Aro as he left.

TWILIGHT 

Thirty minutes had passed since the meeting and Alec and Demi were roaming the border of Volterra. Alec had taken his car since Demi wouldn’t be able to keep up with his inhumane speed. Demi had been quite excited but also nervous because she had never patrolled a border before and she wondered what it would entail. The area surrounding Volterra was filled with growth, like trees and bushes, all looking very vibrant. Demi looked around in wonder, finding herself mesmerised by the sight.  
“Is there anything I need out for?” Demi asked as she followed after Alec, who was luckily walking at a human pace.  
“Just keep an eye out for things that don’t suit the area,” Alec answered as his eyes scanned the area. He knew he could clear this patrol within minutes but he knew that Demi wouldn’t be able to keep up. It did allow him to be thorough with his patrol and he got to spend more time with her.  
Demi slowly nodded her head as her green eyes scanned the area. She didn’t see anything unusual and she hoped that it would stay this way. “Do you guys have to often patrol the area?” She asked out of curiosity.  
“Every day, we usually work in shifts,” Alec answered with ease. Lately, his shifts had been in the night when Demi was asleep so he could still act as her guide. Usually, Alec would take the day patrols unless he was a mission just to keep himself occupied at times. It was usually Felix that enjoyed going out a night.  
Demi hummed at this information, “Why do you guys patrol?” It seemed odd to patrol the city.  
Alec smirked at her curiosity, “Sometimes, we get rogue Vampires that want to challenge us. They’ll try and target the citizens in Volterra to stir up trouble,” This had happened many times in the past and was mostly a pain. The rogue Vampires were always dealt with very easily and it was Felix who enjoyed dealing with them more than anything because he got to fight something.   
“Ah, now it makes sense,” Demi said as she nodded her head. By that logic, the patrols would make sense. She was about to ask another question when Alec stood straighter and his eyes focused west of where they stood. Demi couldn’t hear anything but with how tense Alec stood she knew he had heard something.  
Alec sent her a stern look, “Stay here. I won’t be long,” He didn’t wait to hear her reply as he disappeared within the blink of the eye. There was nothing but air in his place as if he had never been there at all.  
Demi blinked slowly but didn’t argue with him. She didn’t know what he had heard but it was serious enough for him to run off so suddenly and so she decided to actually listen to him. It had been very tempting to follow after him because of how curious she was but she decided against it. Instead, she wandered around the area and away from where Alec had run off too but she kept looking in the direction a few times as she waited for him to come back but he never did. Ten minutes bled into twenty until Demi was sure an hour had passed – at least that’s what her watch said but time seemed to be going extra slow that day. Then, there was a flash of black in the corner of her eye and she assumed it was Alec.  
“Was everything okay?” Demi asked as she turned around but then her eyes widened and the air caught in her throat. The Vampire in front of her wasn’t Alec and was someone who Demi had never seen before. Taking an instinctive step back, Demi leaned away from the Vampire, “Who are you?”   
The Vampire was tall, very tall. He had dark brown hair and red eyes that looked burgundy. He wore black military-style clothing that only served to make him look even more intimidating. “No one important,” He answered with a smirk, his thick Romanian accent very notable.  
“You’re part of the Romanian Coven,” Demi stated as her hands twitched. She could feel her fire become incensed by his presence.  
The smirk grew wider and she noted his sparkling white teeth, “One point to you, but it’s not going to matter much,”  
A sense of panic filled her, “Where is Alec?”  
“Why, is the little girl scared?” The Vampire asked with a taunting tone, mocking her.  
All concerns around being near an unknown and dangerous Vampire was out of the window and all that was left was a simmering rage building gradually, “Where is he?!” She demanded, practically snarling at him. Under her skin, her fire hummed as it came to life, ready for an attack.   
The Vampire shrugged, “More than likely dead. We learnt from our last mistake, three Vampires wasn’t enough, so we’ve brought more,” There was a sinister gleam in his burgundy eyes that unnerved Demi.  
Demi opened her mouth to say something but she never got the chance. Within the blink of the eye, the Vampire was in front of her, madness radiating from him in waves. The Vampire inhaled deeply and took in her scent, something that made her heart quicken in fear. He opened his eyes and saw how dark they were in hunger.  
“We were told to leave you alone, but you just smell too good to resist,” The Vampire said absentmindedly.  
For a moment, Demi felt confused. However, she didn’t have long to ponder his words because he was reaching out for her and she instantly knew what was going to happen. The Vampire wanted to drain her of her blood and she was paralysed in fear. She wanted to cry out and scream but she found that she couldn’t even move her body and that caused her panic even more, why couldn’t she move?  
As if sensing her internal panic, the Vampire laughed, “Oh, I wouldn’t even try and resist. I can paralyse my victims. Works wonders on human, but not so much on Vampires,”  
Demi mentally cursed her luck. His words also meant that her other theory was correct – the right earring that was meant to repel other Vampire’s powers didn’t work, just like the left earring. Demi watched helplessly as the Vampire inched closer to her, being slow on purpose as he seemed to enjoy the fear radiating off her. She wanted to shout out for Alec but she found that her voice box didn’t seem to want to work.  
“This is going to hurt you a lot but it’s going to feel great for me,” The Vampire as he pounced, ready to drain her of her blood.  
Demi closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable pain of being bitten. She had heard about the stories people shared about turning and being bitten in general. However, the pain never came. Demi felt a rush of heat pass over her and she opened her eyes when she heard a howl of pain. Snapping open her eyes, she saw the Vampire was on the floor and he was engulfed in flames that refused to go out. Demi watched the fire and smiled to herself, her fire had come to her aid. She may have been physically paralysed but her power had not and it had come to her rescue. “Thank you,” She whispered lowly as she watched the flames consume the Vampire. The flames seemed to flicker for a moment as it took her appreciation with gust. As the Vampire burned and screamed, feeling came back to her body and soon she could move without anything hindering her.  
Without a second thought, Demi ran in the direction of where Alec had run off too. It took her seconds to reach a clearing and the sight before her made her heart stop. The Vampire had been right, the Romanian Coven had sent more than three Vampires this time around, in fact, and they had sent thirty Vampires. Most lay on the ground with their heads removed but that isn’t what nearly made her cry out. In the middle of the carnage, Alec was kneeled down and ten Vampires surrounded him, with four Vampires on each side holding him down and the other two Vampires with their hands around his neck.  
“NO!” Demi screamed out when she saw this. She knew that the only way to kill a Vampire was to decapitate them and burn the body. Never in a million years did she think anyone would get close enough to actually put their hands on Alec’s neck, and it scared her.  
Every Vampire turned to her and Alec struggled when he saw her. “Get out of here!” Alec yelled back instantly, his eyes black in anger. One of the Vampires that had hold of Alec’s neck moved away from him and walked over to Demi which made Alec struggle even harder as he snarled viciously. The eight Vampires holding him down had to redouble their efforts and he managed to throw two off him.   
A rage like no other filled Demi and normally this would have scared her but it didn’t. She accepted this rage and let it wash over her like a blanket. Before the Vampire got even a few feet near her, she flicked her hand and watched listlessly as the Vampire went up in flames. The Vampire screamed as he fell to the ground. Demi held out her hands and two massive fireballs ignited in her hands. A red haze engulfed Demi as she witnessed the Vampire touching Alec’s neck tighten his grip and she didn’t remember what happened next.  
All she knew was that the world went a flame and then everything went black. The last thing she remembered what Alec screaming her name and then nothing.


	16. Chapter 16

Everything felt groggy and as if she had been dunked in water with how muffled her hearing was. Demi knew that she was back in her room within the castle. She could feel the soft sheets and she revelled in the suppleness of the mattress. She could smell the faint scent of her perfume in the air as well as sage, a potions ingredient that she used frequently. She could hear a faint muttering sound but she couldn’t make out what was being said no matter how much she strained her hearing so she gave up. Her entire body felt heavy and drained. At first, Demi had been confused as to what had happened but the longer she laid there, it all came back to her. There had been an attack and Alec’s head had nearly been ripped off by the Romanian Vampires. Just the thought of it sent a weak pulse of heat through her body. However, she quickly realised she didn’t know what had happened after that. Demi remembered the unrelenting wave of fury that rushed her but then everything went blank. What had happened to her? Was Alec okay? Despite how heavy her eyelids felt, she forced them open and blinked multiple times until her vision cleared up.

The first thing Demi saw was Heidi as she was sat on her bed with a relieved smile, “Finally awake, biscuit,” She said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.  
Demi tried to speak but she found that her throat was dry and she ended up coughing weakly. Wordlessly, Heidi reached over to grab the glass of freshwater by the bedside and helped Demi sit up so she could drink. Demi drank the water greedily, her body practically sighing in relief as she drank. Within seconds, all the water in the glass was gone and Heidi took the glass away.  
“What happened?” Demi asked quietly, her voice still hoarse despite just having a drink.  
Heidi frowned, “You overexerted your magic and passed out. Alec told us all what happened,” When Alec had run back into the castle with an unconscious Demi in his arms, she had freaked out. Heidi had thought Demi was dead and Demetri could hardly console her, but her sadness was nothing compared to what Alec had been feeling.  
At the mention of her guide, her eyes widened, “Is he okay?” The last she remembered, there had hands around his neck and then nothing after that. She had no idea if he was okay or not and that sent her heartbeat wild in worry.  
“Yes, he’s fine biscuit,” Heidi answered softly as she petted Demi’s dead affectionately. She was only half telling the truth but she felt it was best to keep it to herself for the time being. Alec was not fine by any means but he was better than he was before. He had been a mess the entire time Demi had been unconscious and had hardly left her side the entire time. Heidi had barely managed to get him away so she could change Demi into her PJs on the first night of her being unconscious. But she didn’t want to worry Demi too much as she had only just woke up.  
Sighing in relief, Demi relaxed further into her bed. “Thank god…” However, she frowned when she realised how heavy her body felt. “Wait…how long have I been unconscious?” It was unusual for her body to feel like her. Her legs felt restless and arms sluggish, something she hadn’t felt in a long time.  
“It’s been two days,” Heidi answered.  
Demi’s eyes widened as a sense of panic filled her. By her math, that meant today was her tenth day in the Volturi. No wonder she felt as restless as she did and even her hunger made sense as she felt starving. Realisation soon hit her when she calculated that she had gone one day over the deadline Camille had given her as she was meant to be back home yesterday. Demi’s eyes scanned the room and she couldn’t find her mobile phone because she needed to call Camille and try to stop her sending someone to come and collect her.  
Heidi was about to ask something when Demi’s bedroom door opened and in stepped Alec. Alec looked the same as usual, though his eyes were darker than before. The moment he stepped into the room, Demi’s breath caught in her throat and his eyes snapped over to her at the sound. Heidi smirked to herself before she silently left the room within the blink of the eye, she knew that they needed some time together and she would not get in their way.  
Within a flash, Alec was beside Demi as his eyes scanned over her form, “You’re okay?” He asked, almost hesitantly. His voice was barely above a whisper as he couldn’t believe she was awake. He had been waiting for her to wake up and it tore him up inside to see her in such a vulnerable state.  
Demi nodded her head, though she regretted it because it made her feel dizzy, “Mostly,” In all honesty, she felt like she had been in a fight and had lost massively. Her head felt heavy and so did her body.  
Slowly, Alec sat down on the bed with Demi, “Do you need me to get you anything?” He asked in concern when he saw her wince in pain. The thought of her being in pain sent him into a frenzy and his inner beast wanted to soothe her pain away.  
Demi was about to refuse but the pain in her head flared up once again. She spied the pain relief potion on her desk and motioned to it, “Can you pass me that bottle?”

Wordlessly, Alec flashed over to the bottle and was back on the bed in a matter of seconds. He handed the bottle to Demi and she eagerly took the bottle. She gulped down three mouthfuls of the potion before she put the bottle down. Minutes later, the potion took effect and the pain in her head receded and she sighed in relief, leaning back into the pillow. “Thank you,” Demi said with a smile.  
Once he saw she was okay, he visibly relaxed his shoulders. However, they soon tensed as his eyes blazed in anger, “What were you thinking? I told you to stay where you were,” His voice was low but filled with heat.  
Demi watched him for a moment in shock, her heart beating wildly as his sudden anger scared her. However, that fear was quickly washed away when his words registered in her mind, “Excuse me?” She demanded, her own eyes narrowing.  
“You put yourself in danger,” Alec hissed back.

“I helped save you!” Demi argued back. She couldn’t believe the cheek of him, she had helped to save him having his head ripped off and he was yelling at her. She could feel her anger spiking at his words.  
Alec’s eyes flashed in anger, “You shouldn’t have to.” The fact that he couldn’t protect her had rubbed him the wrong way. She shouldn’t have even been in the situation, to begin with, and he hated himself for putting her at risk. When he had seen the Vampire go towards her, he had panicked and he couldn’t remember a time he felt desperate, but at that moment he did.  
There was something in his tone that made Demi pause and her anger stutter. He sounded remorseful and that confused her. Demi shook her head, “There were too many of them for one Vampire to deal with. At least I caused a distraction long enough for you to deal with them,”  
This seemed to snap Alec out of his anger, “What are you talking about?” He asked as he watched confused. He wondered if her head hit the ground at any moment but he couldn’t remember that happening.  
Demi frowned at his confusion, “…I don’t remember what happened after I arrived. I assumed that you got free and dealt with the Romanians,” There was a chunk of her memory missing because she didn’t recall what happened so she just filled in spots on what she thought was more feasible.  
“Demi,” Alec began with a frown, “I didn’t kill them. I don’t know what magic you used, but it was extremely powerful. You burned them all to a crisp,” He remembered it very well because he still couldn’t believe what he had witnessed. He had never seen a Witch use that much power in one go and he had never seen fire bend to anyone’s will before. When the fire had consumed the area, he thought she was going to burn him too but he was surprised to find the fire never once touched him and even moved out of his way.  
Demi paled dramatically at his words and her heart skipped a beat. “W-what?” For a moment, she hadn’t registered his words but she did, she felt a sense of panic. “Oh god, Caius is going to kill me,” She had barely got away with killing one Vampire six days ago, there was no way she would be pardoned for this. There was no way she could even talk this out – she was completely screwed. There was no way they wouldn’t realise that her fire wasn’t normal fire, they would find out that she wasn’t actually a Witch. Suddenly, Demi felt like the room was closing in on her and it felt like someone was sitting on her chest so much she couldn’t breathe.  
Hearing her shallow breathing and erratic heartrate, Alec jumped into action. He kneeled down on the bed and grabbed Demi by the shoulders, “Demi, look at me. Look at me!” He commanded, his voice strong and authoritative. Demi looked up at him, her eyes widened and wild in fear and panic, making his undead heart squeeze. “Caius will not hurt you. I have already spoken to them and they understand what happened. In fact, they are grateful,”  
“Really?” Demi wheezed out.  
“Yes, I wouldn’t lie to you,” Alec said softly as he placed his hand on her face. Demi reached out and grabbed his other hand that was on her shoulder and she squeezed it. She needed something to anchor herself back to earth and his cold temperature was perfect against her warmer skin. Alec watched her do this patiently, he scrutinised her breathing and was pleased when her breathing started to return back to normal. It was only when the room stopped spinning did Demi let out a massive sigh and her body visibly drooped.  
“Better?” Alec asked.  
Demi nodded her head, “Better. Thank you,”  
Alec watched her for a moment as if he was scared she would have another panic attack. Slowly, he removed his hand away so as not to scare her and sat down on the bed with her. “Does this happen often?”  
“Occasionally. They used to happen more frequently when I was younger,” Demi answered back. When Demi first got her fire powers, she used to suffer from panic attacks regularly because she was always scared of hurting someone. As the years went on, they began to dwindle away but certain aspects would trigger her.  
Alec watched her and was filled with shame, “I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that,”  
Demi shook her head. “No, I get it. Another Romanian Vampire came out of nowhere and told me how you were probably dead and I just panicked,” The terror she had felt was very real and so raw that it was unnerving. It was almost like something had possessed her and then she remembered nothing else.  
His eyes tightened at her words, “There was another one?” He wasn’t aware that there had been another Vampire and it made him twitch in anger.  
“Yes, he had the power to paralyse humans,” Demi said as she shuddered at the memory. She could see the tenseness in Alec and wanted to reassure him so she quickly added in, “I managed to stop him though,”  
Alec nodded his head stiffly, though he didn’t seem fully satisfied.  
“What have I missed?” Demi asked curiously. She had been asleep for a while, she was sure something would have happened in that time. There was never a quiet day in the Volturi. She also wanted to distract Alec because he seemed very tense and like he wanted to kill something.   
“There was a meeting yesterday.” Alec explained, his shoulder still tensed but he was thankful for the distraction, “Aro doesn’t want you on your own at any time. We believe you may become the next target,” They still had yet to catch the person who hung Silvia from the ceiling three days prior. Ever since then, they had all been on high alert but the situation seemed to be getting worse.  
Demi frowned, “But you seem to be a target as well,” During her time in Volterra, Alec had been targeted twice and that didn’t account for the time she hadn’t been there as more could have happened prior to her visit. The reason for her being targeted was pretty obvious but she didn’t understand why Alec was being targeted, “Why is that?”  
Alec’s lips thinned, “During the last uprising from the Romanian Coven, I killed Vladimir’s Mate and so he’s after revenge,” It was a move he had never regretted until now because now he had a Mate of his own to protect.  
Demi nodded her head in understanding, “Mates seem to be very important in the Vampire community," This wasn’t the first time this term had been used, Ajax had mentioned his Mate when she last saw him. She really needed to brush up more on this topic because she didn’t like how large these gaps were in her knowledge around this subject.  
Alec was about to answer when Demi’s stomach made its presence known by letting out an almighty groan. Demi flushed red in embarrassment because she knew he had heard it – if her room hadn’t been soundproof then she was sure everyone in the castle would have heard. Alec faintly smiled, “I’ll go and grab you some food.” Within a second, Alec was gone and Demi groaned out loud with how embarrassing that was.  
There was a knock on the door not even two seconds later and it made Demi lookup. She was about to get up to answer the door when it swung open and Jane stepped in. The moment Demi saw her, her heart rate picked up dramatically and she felt like she was going to have another panic attack. Jane watched her with a void expression but Demi knew she could hear her heartbeat.  
Demi swallowed nervously, “C-can I help you?”  
Jane walked further into the room and every step made Demi even more anxious. Jane stopped when she was a few feet away and she looked Demi up and down. “I am only going to say this once, so listen well.” Jane’s voice was soft but also menacing.  
Demi felt her body begin to shake with nerves.  
“…Thank you… for saving my brother,” Jane whispered with a grimace as if saying these words physically pained her.   
For a moment, Demi felt her brain short-circuit. She was about to question this but then she saw the annoyed gleam in Jane’s red eyes and she decided against it. Never in a million years did she ever think that Jane would ever thank her for anything but then she did it. Sensing she wasn’t going to get a reply – or she didn’t care – Jane turned around and walked out of the room and closed the door behind her. It was like she was never there but Demi would never forget what happened.  
Ten minutes later, Alec walked back into the room with a tray full of food. He took one step into the room and noticed two things immediately. The first was Demi’s shocked expression and the second was his sister’s scent was in the room. “Jane was here?” He asked with a frown. He would have been worried if it weren’t for the fact Demi looked perfectly fine – except for the fact she seemed frozen in astonishment.  
This snapped Demi out of her shocked state, “She thanked me,”  
Alec said nothing but even he couldn’t hide when his eyes widened slightly. His sister never thanked anyone for anything. He could count on one hand how many time she had thanked someone in their long existence.

TWILIGHT 

Alec left Demi’s room, who has once again fallen asleep after she had eaten as she was still exhausted. He had seen the effects of magic exhaustion and knew that Demi would be out for at least another day, if not more. Alec nodded stiffly at the two Lower Guards that were stood outside her room and they bowed their head in acknowledgement at him. He pretended that he didn’t notice their fear – which was palpable – and continued on his way, making a mental note that he would check on Demi in a few hours. After discovering Silvia’s body in the Ball Room, he had asked Demi not to leave her room without a Guard until they were sure it was absolutely safe. Now, there was always Lower Guards posted outside her room as extra insurance, though from what Alec had seen in the last few days, Demi could take care of herself.  
As he walked down the hallway in search of his sister, his thoughts strayed to what caused Demi to be in such a state. During her time unconscious, Alec had a lot of time to reflect on what happened and to say he was still upset was an understatement. In his mind, he had failed at protecting Demi and that was something that would never leave him because if he had been stronger then she wouldn’t have needed to protect him. He was Vampire, he was supposed to be one of the strongest creatures that walked the earth and yet he felt so useless and weak. In all his centuries alive no creature had managed to their hands on his neck. He had been careless and arrogant when dealing with the Romanians and this was something that needed to change. They were changing tactic and so he needed to as well so this didn’t happen again.  
Following Jane’s scent, he found himself in the training room. Doing a quick scan of attendance in the room, he saw Felix, Demetri, Heidi and Jane all present. Jane watched Felix and Demetri fight one another out of sheer boredom because she wasn’t allowed to go on another mission yet. Alec walked up beside her and watched the fight with an amused expression.  
As if sensing this expression, Jane scowled, “Shut up,”  
“But I haven’t even said anything,” Alec replied back with a smirk.  
Jane sneered but said nothing. She knew that the Witch would have told Alec what happened and she didn’t want to relive that moment. The fact she had even thanked the Witch made her physically sick and it was something she wished would never happen again. Jane didn’t even know what came over her. She hadn’t planned on seeing the Witch but it happened and now Jane couldn’t take it back.  
“Thank you,” Alec said gratefully. He knew how big of a deal this was for Jane and he wanted her to know how appreciative he was for this. In his mind, it was one step closer to Jane eventually accepting Demi.   
Jane nodded stiffly and refused to say anything more on the matter.  
Felix pinned Demetri to the ground and let out a victorious roar when Demetri conceded. He stood up and did a little smug dance just to rub the fact he had won in Demetri’s face. Scowling, Demetri stood up and flashed over to Heidi, who kissed him to make him feel better. As soon as Heidi kissed him, Demetri forgot all about his lost match and focused fully on his Mate.  
“Who’s next?” Felix shouted out with a grin. He beat on his chest, almost like a Gorilla proving his dominance.  
The moment Alec laid eyes on Felix, all the rage came back. He still hadn’t addressed Felix telling Demi that he was a ‘Man Whore’ as Jane had described. Never in a million years did he want Demi thinking he was promiscuous and it angered him that Felix was saying this to his Mate. A low growl escaped his lips as he flashed forward, the rage taking over. Within a split second, Alec had Felix pinned to the nearest wall with such ferocity that the wall cracked under the pressure.  
The room went still for a moment as everyone processed what happened. Felix’s eyes widened comically as he couldn’t believe what just happened. Even his Vampire brain couldn’t comprehend what was going on. Typically, Alec stayed away from sparing with the other Guards but not this time. Taking this a challenge, Felix manoeuvred himself and threw Alec off him, but was surprised when he barely budged. Snarling in anger, Alec threw Felix across the room once more. Felix landed in the other wall with a crash but Alec wasn’t done. Using a powerful kick, Alec further shoved Felix into making a very large imprint in the wall. Felix grabbed Alec and threw him across the room but the smaller Vampire was back within a split second and punched him in the face with ferociousness. Felix jumped back up, ready to continue the fight until he noticed Alec’s black eyes and the snarl on his face.  
“…Alec?” Felix asked as the grin left his face. He was slowly realising that this wasn’t a playful fight as it had been with Demetri but a proper one.  
Alec hissed menacingly in return, his eyes ablaze in anger.  
Demetri stepped in front of Heidi, ready to protect her at a moment’s notice when he sensed the hostility coming from Alec. Heidi watched in confusion and shock as she had never seen Alec react in such a manner. However, it was Jane that looked genuinely troubled.  
“What’s going on?” Heidi asked as she looked to Jane hoping that she would have some answers. She knew that Felix could be annoying at times but Alec had never reacted with such violence towards him before, it was always Jane that did that.  
For a moment, Jane was stunned and didn’t know what to say. She thought back to what Felix had done and soon she was hit with a realisation. “It’s what Felix said at the Ball,” She answered, knowing that Heidi would know what she was talking about.  
Heidi’s eyes widened a fraction as she cursed out loud.  
“What did I do?!” Felix exclaimed as he ran away from Alec, who chased him around the room. He was just barely getting out of the way of Alec and his deadly attacks. Felix knew that the moment Alec got hold of him like this it was game over and it would only get worse if he included his gift.  
“You basically told Demi that he was a man whore,” Heidi answered in frustration. She could have throttled Felix when he did that but decided that Alec had that right. She was rooting for Alec and Demi to get together but that incident could have ruined everything.  
Felix looked stunned, “But it was a harmless prank! That doesn’t warrant him trying to kill me!” He exclaimed as he avoided another attack from Alec.  
Alec snarled viciously as he caught him and threw Felix to the ground, all rational parts of his brain shut off as he gave in to his instincts and rage. Alec stood over Felix as his hand began to reach for his neck.  
“Yes, it does because she is his Mate!” Jane shouted out in frustration, annoyed that Felix didn’t understand what he could have done.  
Everything fell silent and multiple things happened at once. Felix and Alec stopped fighting, Heidi looked at Jane as though she had just committed the worst crime, Demetri’s jaw dropped and Jane was dumbfounded at what she just did. Jane’s opened her mouth to say something – to try and take back what she said – but it was too late. She knew that Alec hadn’t wanted people to know about Demi being his Mate but it had just slipped out and she hadn’t meant it. She had just wanted Felix to understand the severity of his prank and had blurted it out.  
“JANE!” Heidi screamed in vexation.  
Jane cursed out loud when she realised her massive blunder.  
Felix slowly looked at Alec and saw how his eyes had lightened and where no longer pitch black. “Oh damn,” He thought back to the Ball and the hurt expression in Demi’s eyes as well as Jane’s sudden anger. He hadn’t understood why they took his prank so seriously, everyone in the Volturi knew what he was like. Now, it all made sense of why Heidi, Jane and Alec had been giving him the cold shoulder – well in Jane and Alec’s case an even colder shoulder. Everything about Alec’s weird behaviour towards Demi now all made sense and he felt stupid for not realising sooner.  
“…Is what she said true?” Demetri asked, his voice low but everyone in the room heard him. He was pretty sure everyone in the castle had heard this.  
Alec stiffly nodded his head as he stood straighter, “Yes, Demi is my Mate,” He sent a scathing side glance to his sister, who had the decency to wince. Alec had not wanted to make this public knowledge. Before this, only the Masters, Heidi and Jane knew but now everyone in the Volturi would know.  
Terror filled Felix, “Dude, I am so sorry. If I had known I would have never said that,” Even he knew that had crossed a line and now it was something he regretted terribly.  
Alec glowered at him but accepted his apology, “Don’t do it again,”  
Felix nodded his head frantically and got up when Alec took a few steps back. He dusted himself off and looked to the male twin, “Does she know?”  
“No, I haven’t told her yet,” Alec admitted with a sigh. He knew that they were bound to have questions and he would rather get this out of the way. “I want to get her used to Vampires first, I don’t want to scare her away,”  
“It seems to have worked so far,” Demetri said in agreement. He thought back to the times he had seen Alec and Demi interact and he had always been confused by it. He had never seen Alec so…gentle before. He had also noticed how Demi had slowly stopped being afraid of Alec and seemed more comfortable being around Vampires. He had brought up this change to Heidi who had laughed it off, “You knew?” He asked as he looked to his Mate.  
Heidi smirked, “Of course I did. It just wasn’t mine to tell,” She sent a pointed glance in Jane’s direction who refused to meet anyone’s eyes.  
“But how does that work? A Vampire and a Witch, it’s never been done before, has it?” Felix asked as he looked confused. He had been a Vampire for a long time and he had never met a Vampire/Witch couple before because of the animosity between them.  
Alec fell silent. He didn’t know how to answer because he didn’t have one. Neither he nor the Masters had a solution because of how new this territory was. There were a few options that could happen and not all of them were favourable. The first was that Demi could reject him as a Mate – something he hoped wouldn’t happen. The second was that they stayed the exact same as they were but he would eventually lose her to death as she was mortal and the last option was that Demi could be changed into a Vampire. Most importantly, it all depended on if Demi accepted him as a Mate, to begin with.  
Seeing him struggle to answer, Heidi stepped in. “It doesn’t matter. We’ll cross that bridge when it comes to it,” Heidi sent him a smile and Alec bowed his head slightly in thanks.  
“I assume that this is on a need-to-know basis?” Demetri asked.  
Alec nodded his head, “Yes, the fewer people that know the better especially since Vladimir is targeting me,”  
“We’ll help protect her, no one’s getting past these guns,” Felix flexed his arms, showing off his impressive muscles. As a human, he had been strong and it was only amplified when he became a Vampire.  
Heidi smiled in agreement, “We all will,” She said as she looked to Demetri who also nodded his head.  
Alec looked over to Jane who said nothing. Sensing eyes on her, Jane turned around and walked out of the training room and within a flash, she was gone. Alec sighed needlessly, he needed to have chat with his sister again.

TWILIGHT 

Many miles away in an undisclosed location, the cloaked woman stood with Vladimir. He looked at the cloaked woman with guarded eyes as she stood calmly. He had to sneak away from the rest of his Coven so no one would know he was meeting with her. After their visit from the Volturi, Stefan had wanted him to stay away from the woman for a while until the dust settled but she was getting impatient and they both knew it wouldn’t end well.  
“How did the second attack go?” The woman asked. Her long cloaked was still in place and no one could see her face or even distinguish her accent.  
Vladimir inhaled unnecessarily, “The attack started off well. We nearly managed to get Alec’s head, but…”  
“But what?” The woman demanded impatiently.  
“The Witch got in the way again,” Vladimir said lowly, his thoughts strayed back to the incident that he had witnessed personally. After the last incident, his spy was too traumatised to see the Witch again and so he made sure to oversee this operation because if Alec was getting his head pulled off then he wanted to there to witness justice.  
The woman stiffened, “What did you say?”  
“She unleashed a fire that I have never seen before. It was so…powerful,” Vladimir’s red eyes glazed over at the memory. He had barely managed to make it out of the area before the fire consumed everything in its path. Looking back, it almost seemed as though the fire was chasing after him but he shook this idea off as it was preposterous, “I thought you said she wouldn’t be an issue,”  
“She wasn’t,” The woman spat out in anger, “What was this fire like?”  
Vladimir frowned at the question but didn’t argue, “It was massive. It definitely wasn’t magic but something else. Hundreds of miles were scorched from it,” He had gone back after the fire had calmed down and he had been gobsmacked at the devastation one Witch had caused.  
At his words, the woman relaxed, “Good. That Witch will no longer be a problem. A fire that large would have killed her,” She cackled as she spoke as if this situation was hilarious.  
Her words were meant to inspire confidence but Vladimir felt none of that. When he had arrived back, both the Witch and Alec were gone but he knew Alec was still alive from his scent alone. The Witch’s scent was faint and was mostly covered by Alec’s. Vladimir was confident that the Witch was still alive but he refused to question the woman in front of him. “What’s the next phase of the plan?” He asked, moving on to something else.  
The woman’s hand outstretched and she handed him a single needle filled with a clear liquid. “This is the next phase of the plan,”  
Vladimir took the needle and inspected it. He stared at the item in confusion, “What am I meant to do with this?” Surely this couldn’t be their next phase of the plan, how was a simple needle meant to so anything?  
The woman huffed in exasperation, “You use it, you idiot. We’ve shown the Volturi that they aren’t as invincible as they think. Now, we target Aro’s favourite pet, Jane.”  
Vladimir frowned, “But what about Alec? He’s the one I want,”  
“You’ll get your revenge in due time.” The woman reassured, “If you take away Jane you get to Alec. He’ll be weaker without his twin,”  
Nodding his head in understanding, her explanation soothed his thoughts of killing Alec. They had already attempted to ambush Alec twice with little success and now it was time to move target so they didn’t become predictable. The Volturi would be too busy protecting Alec that they may let their guard down around Jane. If they managed to take down Jane, the Romanian Coven was more than likely to gain more support from other Vampire Covens as most were too afraid of Jane to defy the Volturi. The Romanian Coven would be revered as saviours amount their kind.  
“Just make sure you don’t miss your opportunity. That poison was very hard to make and it will be a while before I can make anymore,” The woman warned as looked down at the needle.  
Vladimir looked down at the needle, “I won’t miss,”  
“Good.” The woman said as she began to cackle.


	17. Chapter 17

Two days had passed and now Demi was feeling one hundred per cent better than before. She had spent most of that time in bed because she was just too exhausted from using too much of her fire power, often going in and out of consciousness. Alec had been by her side for most of the time only leaving occasionally to give her some time alone or to go and grab her food. Demi had fallen asleep before she could try and ring Camille and for the past two days, she had been waiting anxiously for someone to turn up and relieve her of her duties – something she would have to do because she couldn’t go against a direct order from the Coven Leader. However, this never happened. No one knocked on her door to inform her that she was no longer needed nor did anyone from the Blackthorn Coven arrive. The longer this went on for, the more anxious Demi felt.   
Demi glanced at her phone on the desk, contemplating her next move. Camille had not called or texted at all but this didn’t alarm Demi. She knew that Camille would be very busy with dealing with the Coven – and trying to placate the UK Coven after Silvia’s death while also looking after Lily and leading her own Coven. After the ball, Demi had texted Camille about what happened because it was much too late to call. Camille had replied back that she would deal with it. The death of Silvia would have sent the Coven into disrepair and Demi decided that she wouldn’t add into it. The UK Coven were already giving Camille a hard time and this would have just made it worse. She would give Camille time to do her thing and it worked in her benefit because now she could get with making sure this Treaty remained intact without having to worry about Camille breathing down her neck.  
Looking at the time, Demi noticed that it was just coming up to lunchtime and she started to feel peckish. She hadn’t even started her morning routine yet and was still in her PJs so she decided to start her day. Within thirty minutes, Demi was showered and dressed for the day. She wore black dress pants with a soft pink blouse with her black flats. Demi turned around and glanced at herself in the mirror as she did a mental checklist in her head. She was still not wearing the gloves and was so happy that she had taken it one step further. She had given it a lot of thought and she knew that she needed to use her fire more often – it had saved her life on more than one occasion. If she was going to offer her services to the Volturi then she needed her full power at her disposal. Demi knew what had caused this exhaustion and it was the repressors, her fire had fought hard against the four repressors but at the cost of her being unconscious because it had been too much for her body to handle. As a result, Demi had taken off both bracelets on her wrists, the necklace and the ring. Now, she had no more repressors and she felt a sense of freedom that she hadn’t felt in a long while. As soon as all the repressors were off her body, her fire hummed in relief and it caused her to smile. There was a very brief moment where she felt bare without the pieces of jewellery but that was quickly brushed aside. Demi looked in the mirror and noticed an instant difference within herself – her eyes seemed brighter. Satisfied with her appearance, Demi left her room and headed towards the kitchen.   
Stepping outside her room, Demi spotted the two Lower Guards stood at their post. She smiled at them as she passed but they didn’t look at her and actively avoided her eyes. It took everything for her to not sigh at their reaction and so she ignored them even as they trailed behind her silently. Alec had informed her of the extra security measures in place to ensure that she was safe in the castle after the finding Silvia’s body in the Ball Room and she wasn’t going to argue with him on the matter. Minutes later, Demi arrived in the kitchen and began cooking up some food for her to have. She hummed as she did this, only vaguely paying attention to the fact the Lower Guards left the room and left her in peace. When they were gone, Demi sighed in relief. It was so awkward having someone just leer at her and watch her every move, at least when Santiago and Alec were her guides, they would talk to her.  
Just as Demi had finished eating and was washing up her stuff, the door open once more. She half expected it to be the Lower Guards – who hadn’t even given their names no matter how much she asked – but she was surprised when a feminine voice cleared her throat. Demi turned around and saw a human woman stood before her, one that she had seen before.  
The woman looked young, long black hair and an olive skin-tone. The woman was dressed in a tight black pencil skirt with a white blouse with the first few buttons undone. The woman wore black heels that were so high Demi was almost scared she was going to break her neck. “So, you’re the Witch everyone is talking about,” The woman sneered at Demi as if she was dirt on the bottom of her shoe.  
“Yes, and you are?” Demi asked with an arched brow. She recognised the woman from her first day in Volturi, she had been sitting at the front desk. Demi remembered that the woman looked smug but she didn’t know what for.  
The woman smiled condescendingly, “The name’s Francesca, I am the secretary here,”  
Demi hummed in response and instantly knew who she was. There had always been rumours around the secretaries within the Volturi. They were mostly derogatory stories but the point of them were that the secretaries tried to become Vampires and join the Volturi. The Kings would only pick exceptional Vampires to join the ranks but if they pleased the Volturi enough then being turned was always an option. Demi had always questioned the need to have a human secretary but she assumed it was to keep up appearances.  
Francesca walked over to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water as if trying to nonchalant, “Witches too, who would have thought,”  
“Yeah, crazy,” Demi answered dryly as she watched Francesca closely. There was something about the woman that put her on edge. In all the time Demi had been in the castle, she’d never had a run-in with Francesca and so she wondered what her goal was.  
Francesca giggled to herself, “I know this might sound crazy, but is there any way to become a Witch?”  
Demi rolled her eyes, “No, you have to be born as one.” At the question, Demi realised what Francesca was – a supernatural groupie. There were a few humans who had an inkling of the supernatural and wanted to become one and would do anything to get what they want. It would seem as though the rumours around the secretaries of the Volturi were true, at least in this case.  
Francesca pouted, “Well that’s stupid. Are you sure?”  
Demi wanted to sigh. If there any way to become a Witch then she would have found it out by now so she was definitely sure of her answer, “Yes, I am sure,”  
“You seem quite young, maybe a grown-up Witch would have an answer, can you ask for me?” Francesca said with a snarky smile.  
This caused Demi’s eye to twitch, “For your information, I am seventeen years old and in the Witch community that makes me an adult," Demi snapped back, her patience for the woman instantly gone. Within the Witch Community, seventeen was the age of maturity and for a lot of Witches, that’s when they could move on from the Coven as all their training was done.  
Francesca took one look at Demi and laughed scornfully, “Yeah right,”  
Demi’s jaw clenched. She hated it when people made assumptions about her appearance – yes she looked very young for her age and she did look like a child most times. Demi absolutely hated it and wished people would take her more seriously. She cursed her genes and wondered why she was cursed with a baby face and short stature.   
“Besides, there’s no way you could be the same Witch,” Francesca scoffed offhandedly.   
Now, this caught Demi’s attention, “What do you mean?”  
Francesca grinned as she leaned in, “Well, there is a rumour going around in the castle that I heard some Lower Guards talking about. Apparently, Alec’s Mate is a Witch,” Francesca giggled at the end at how juicy this gossip was. She had been trying for ages to find out more about the Inner Circle and this was the most she had got in years.  
Demi instantly froze at her words, it felt like someone had just punched her in the gut. “W-what?” Demi stuttered as her eyes widened. There were certain things she knew for certain and one of them was that she was only Witch in the castle which could only mean that the rumours were about her.  
Francesca nodded her head, “I know right!”  
The world around Demi went sideways and she knew Francesca was speaking but Demi couldn’t hear a word she was saying. She felt numb to everything around her and as if everything was in a haze. There was no way these rumours could be true – a Witch and a Vampire would never work. They were so different from one another that the thought of it happening was preposterous. Demi couldn’t handle being in the same room as Francesca so she turned around and fled, not hearing Francesca’s calls for her to come back. Demi sped walked around the castle, trying to get back to her room so she could process this fully.  
All she knew was that she needed to get away, now.  
Heidi walked down the hallway and spotted the Witch, “Oh, hello biscuit, are you okay?” She asked as she looked at the mortal in concern. Demi looked paper white and her chest was heaving, it almost looked like she was having a panic attack.  
The moment Demi saw her, she stopped dead in her tracks, “Am I Alec’s Mate?” She demanded. Demi needed some answers and she hoped that Heidi could answer her. She was hoping that Heidi would tell her that it was ludicrous and that she would laugh it off.  
However, that never happened. If possible, Heidi seemed to have paled. Her jaw dropped as she stared at Demi in shock. “Demi, I-”  
Demi didn’t wait to hear the rest of what she said. Instead, she ran away, ignoring as Heidi yelled her name. Within minutes, Demi made it to her room and shut the door behind her, locking it so no one could come in. Pressing her back against the door, Demi slide down the door and focused on her breathing, trying to calm it down. The room felt like it was closing in on her and she was pretty sure she was on her way to a panic attack. The situation felt so strange and she had the sudden urge to cry she was so confused. Surely what Francesca said wasn’t true but then why didn’t Heidi immediately correct her? Why did Heidi look so guilty? There was no way that she could be Alec’s Mate – she was far too young to have a Mate for goodness sake. She may be classed as an adult in the eyes of her Coven but at that moment, she felt small.  
Oh god, her Coven.  
If her Coven found out that she was a Vampire’s Mate she’d have no idea what they would do. Would she be thrown out? Would they ostracise her further away from the Coven until she left of her own accord? Would they support her? Demi was sure that Camille would support her but she was the Coven Leader so she’d have to do something to appease the rest of the Coven.  
Her train of thoughts was interrupted when there was a knock on the door. “Demi, let me in,” Alec said from the other side.  
At the sound of his voice, she froze. Her heart thumped in her chest wildly and she found she couldn’t speak.  
Alec knocked again on the door, this time sounding more frantic. “Demi, speak to me, please,” His voice was rushed and there was an undertone of panic that Demi didn’t hear.  
“Go away!” Demi yelled back as she closed her eyes and placed her hands over her ears. She couldn’t handle seeing him so soon, she needed time to process what she just heard. Being near him was making everything worse because she couldn’t unscramble her thoughts.  
“Demi!” Alec exclaimed, the knocking coming down harder on the door, “Don’t shut me out!”  
Demi breathed in deeply, “Is it true?” She asked quietly but she knew he would hear her. The rooms may be soundproofed but the doors weren’t and if someone was stood by the door, they could hear what was being said.  
The knocking stopped as Alec went quiet on the other side. For a moment, Demi thought he had walked away but didn’t dare open the door in case she was wrong. “Yes, it’s true,” Alec eventually said, his voice barely above a whisper but Demi managed to hear him.  
Demi inhaled sharply at his words.  
“I wasn’t trying to hide it from you, I swear,” Alec said when she didn’t answer him.  
“Please, leave me alone,” Demi said softly, her eyes prickling with unshed tears.  
Alec sighed from the other side but did as she asked. Demi listened as his footsteps disappeared and only when she was sure he was gone did she rest her head on the door and sigh loudly. Her life had been completely turned upside down in one morning and she didn’t know how to cope. Demi looked around the room and spotted her phone and she was so tempted to call Camille and get some advice – she really needed it. She then looked around the rest of her room and decided that she couldn’t stay here, she needed to get out of this room. The smell of smoke brought her back down to earth and that’s when she noted how hot the palms of her hands were. Looking down, Demi saw two handprints scorched into the stone and she cursed loudly, forcing the heat away from her hands. The last thing she needed was to have an accident and have Vampires swarming the room because they thought something was burning.  
Standing up, Demi unlocked the door and headed out, making sure to avoid every Vampire that she could.

TWILIGHT 

Hours had passed and Demi had spent most of the day wandering the castle. She had nearly run into quite a few Vampires and she had dived to hide away from every single one of them. She was sure they knew she was there but she didn’t care. Demi had calmed down from what she had been like hours before but she was still very much confused. She didn’t understand how she could be Alec’s Mate of all people – she didn’t even understand what it meant. From all her wandering, she had ended up outside the castle in a section she didn’t recognise. She had been tempted to run off the site but she decided that it would have been a foolish move and so she voted against it.  
Demi looked around at the plush little garden in wonder. In all her time in the castle, she had never seen a garden from any view she had. Looking around, she noticed how well kept the garden was and as if someone was tending to it. Demi wondered if the Volturi had a gardener come in and tend to it but she thought it would be odd. Demi spotted a stone bench and sat down on it, needing to sit down as her body was exhausted from the emotional trip she had been on. Inhaling deeply, Demi couldn’t help but appreciate the smell of the garden. She could smell the faint scent of roses and lavender in the air. In the distance, Demi could see some tulips and even some rare flowers she had never seen before – only in books and pictures.  
A throat cleared behind her and it caused her to jump up. Demi turned around and saw Marcus stood a few feet away from her, a blank expression on his face. Demi’s eyes widened when she realised she had encroached onto his space, “I am so sorry! I got lost and-” She stopped speaking when Marcus held up his hand indicating her to halt.  
“I’ll leave you alone,” Demi muttered lowly as she walked out of the area but then she stopped and turned around, “The garden is very beautiful,” She turned back around and was about to walk away when a voice stopped her.  
“Do you like gardening?” Marcus asked, his voice like silk.  
Demi stopped dead in her tracks, stunned that he had spoken. In all her time of being in Volterra, she had barely heard him speak at all. Realising he had asked her a question, Demi turned around and nodded her head, “I do, it calms me down. Who looks after the garden here? It’s very lovely,” She could see that this garden was well kept and cared for.  
The edges of Marcus’ mouth twitched, “I look after the garden myself,”  
Demi’s eyes widened at the confession. She hadn’t expected one of the Three Kings of the Vampire community to enjoy gardening.  
Marcus looked out to the garden, his eyes glazed over as he reminisced, “My Mate, Didyme, enjoyed gardening very much. After her death, I found that gardening was the only thing that helped,” He glided over to the bench and sat down, silently inviting Demi to sit down as well.  
Taking the invitation, Demi sat down. She was well aware of his story – as most people were in the supernatural community. It was a saddening tale of how he lost the love of his life who was killed in mysterious circumstances and the murderer had yet to be found. However, at the reminder of the word ‘Mate,’ Demi deflated on the bench.  
“You found out then,” Marcus said calmly.  
Demi looked at him alarmed, “You knew?” But then she sighed deeply and just nodded her head. Of course, Marcus would know, his powers gave him that advantage. “Who else knows?” She asked though she was fearful of the answer. Francesca had mentioned a rumour but didn’t state who else knew.  
Marcus hummed in thought, “Everyone in the Volturi knows,”  
Demi groaned and put her face in her hands, “Great, so I was the last to know,” This seemed to make it worse. She wondered if everyone had been watching her and judging her. Though she supposed it made sense now because all the Lower Guards avoided her like the plague.   
Saying nothing, Marcus’ red eyes wandered the garden as he thought of his late wife.  
A thought occurred to Demi and she realised that she didn’t know much about Mates. “What even is a Mate?” She asked, needing to get as much information as possible. She knew the bare basics and that was it. There was no way she could visit the library now, Alec and Jane’s room was on the same floor and she didn’t want to run into either of them.  
Marcus pondered on this question for a moment before he answered. “The single greatest need Vampires have, other than hunting and feeding themselves, is to find their Mate. It is an unbreakable tie that withstands even death and is more intimate than a simple spousal bond, with another individual.”  
Demi shuddered at his words, they were so intense and almost made her wish she hadn’t asked the question. “And can he… chose another person?”  
“No,” Marcus said as he shook his head, “You do not choose who your Mate may be, it is something that has been preordained.” He remembered the day he met Didyme very clearly and it was something he would never forget. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on and everything around him was unimportant. He would never dare chose another Mate, even now.  
“But I am a Witch, it doesn’t make sense, we don’t have Mates!” Demi exclaimed in frustration. She ran a hand through her hair in aggravation.  
“It is an unusual pairing,” Marcus agreed, “I have never met a Vampire/Witch paring before,” He was not ignorant enough to assume there wasn’t a Witch/Vampire pairing out there but he can say confidently he had never met one before.  
However, that didn’t make her feel any better, in fact, she felt worse. “Do I have a choice in the matter?” Demi asked quietly, scared of the answer. This was probably the thing that scared her the most as to whether she would be forced into this or not.  
Marcus nodded his head, “Of course you do. Not every Mate is compatible and some have chosen to separate.” In the many years, he had been alive on the earth, he had seen all matter of couples especially through his power. Most Vampires never found their Mates but the lucky ones did. There had been instances where they didn’t fit and had to separate for their own good or their Mate had already bonded with another person.  
“But what happens to Alec if I say no?” Demi asked in concern. She may be angry at him but that didn’t mean she wasn’t worried about his wellbeing. This affected him just as much as it affected her.  
“Being rejected by a Mate is painful,” Marcus admitted lowly, “But Alec will survive. He has been through so much already,” Most Vampires that were rejected never took it well and some committed suicide because they couldn’t handle it. Vampire’s emotions were heightened a considerable amount compared to humans and so the rejection was soul-destroying for many.  
Demi fell silent for a moment as she considered his words. “I’m scared,” She confessed softly. This was so new to her she didn’t know how to handle it. There was no rules or guidelines to read about – not one she has found anyway – but this was real life, there were consequences to her actions and she was scared of making the wrong choice.  
Marcus stood up and went to leave but he stopped himself as he turned back to her, gaining her attention. “Take this from me, from someone who has had a Mate and lost one. The things that may seem scary in the beginning end up being the most rewarding. But, do what you think is right and not what people want you to,” Having said what he needed to, Marcus glided away and left Demi on her own.  
Watching him go, Demi’s mind raced in thought. However, she knew she couldn’t do this alone and knew that she needed to speak with Alec. Sighing deeply, Demi stood up from the bench and headed towards the castle knowing she would need to get this sorted.

TWILIGHT 

Demi walked back into the castle and made her way towards Alec’s room, hoping he was going to be there. Every step she took felt like led but she inhaled deeply and forced herself to walk on. Demi was very tempted to just turn around, especially as she got closer to his room but she steeled her nerves and continued on. Within minutes, Demi arrived outside his door and she listened in for a moment, trying to discern whether anyone was in there and soon she heard a sound that indicated he was. Slowly, she knocked on his door and seconds later, the door opened.  
The moment Alec saw her, his eyes widened slightly, “Demi.” He wasn’t expecting to see her so soon and it shocked him.  
“C-can we talk?” Demi asked hesitantly.  
Alec nodded his head and stepped away from the door, allowing her to come in. Demi stepped into the room and watched as Alec closed the door behind her. “Would you like to sit down?” He asked lowly, motioning to a sitting area in this room. Looking around the room, Demi couldn’t help but notice how neat it was. There was a large canopy bed in the room, something that surprised her and made her face heat up. The room was similar to Heidi’s room exact the room had darker colours and there was a huge window. The sitting area was in front of the fireplace, which was lit and gave the room a lovely glow.  
Taking a seat, Demi and Alec sat facing each other with a table in between them. They stared at each other as they silently debated who would talk first. However, it was Demi that broke the silence, “When did you know I was your Mate?”  
“When I first met you,” Alec answered honestly. This wasn’t how he wanted her to find out but now he had to make the best of the situation. After Demi had run off, Alec had interrogated the Lower Guards and found out it was the secretary that had spilt the beans – to say he was livid was an understatement.  
Demi swallowed thickly, “Did you ever plan to tell me?”  
Alec leaned forward, hurt flashed in his red eyes, “I did, yes. I didn’t want to drop this on you because I know it’s a big thing.” He was desperate for her to understand that he didn’t withhold this information to hurt her. It was a big deal and it wasn’t something that could be dropped on someone so suddenly, especially to someone who wasn’t a Vampire.  
This did make her feel better because she knew that he at least thought about her. “But, how can this be? I’m a Witch and you’re a Vampire, there is no way this could work,” Demi shook her head, hoping a shake of the brain would unscramble her thoughts but it was unsuccessful.  
“It doesn’t have to be complicated,” Alec answered back softly, “I don’t mind that you’re a Witch, you’re everything I would want in a Mate,” He wasn’t like his sister or like a lot of other Vampires. He had a lot of respect for Witches, hence why he wasn’t upset when he found out Demi was his Mate.  
Demi’s face instantly flushed as her heart fluttered, something she was sure he heard. There was a degree of tenderness in his voice that nearly made her melt at his words. No one had ever spoken to her like this before – no one had ever shown romantic interest in her before because she was always seen as the freak in her Coven. At the remembrance of her Coven, it felt like someone had poured freezing cold water over her and she paled dramatically, “My Coven would never allow this to happen,”  
“Their opinion doesn’t matter,” Alec shook his head.  
There was so much she wanted to say. Demi wanted to scream out about her situation and how she was always seen as the outsider but she knew she couldn’t. The Coven already hated her and if they found out about her being mated to a Vampire – to Alec of all people – they would sooner cast her out than listen to her. There was only so much Camille could protect her from the Elders and this would just push it over the edge where she would be excommunicated from the Coven.  
As if sensing her distress, Alec appeared beside her in a flash but didn’t touch her as he didn’t want to push it any further than he already had. “Demi, I will help protect you. Whatever happens, I will stand by you,”  
Demi felt herself calm down and it confused her. The more she thought about it, the more she realised that being near Alec made her feel weird but in a good way. At first, she had been terrified of him but now that fear was gone when she realised he wasn’t going to hurt her especially after he protected her on more than one occasion. Looking back, she knew now he would bring her no harm and he was the exact opposite from what her Coven whispered about. The more she thought about it, the more she realised that it could have been worse – her Mate could have been Jane for goodness sake. That thought made her smile as she fully relaxed and she was half tempted to laugh at the audacity of the thought.  
“All I ask is to think about it.” Alec's voice snapped Demi out of her musing, “I don’t expect an answer now, but please don’t push me away,” Alec didn’t know if he could handle being pushed away but if she did, then Alec would have to accept it.  
For a moment, Demi said nothing as she considered his words. “I am going to need time to get used to this.”  
Alec nodded his head in agreement, “Of course,”  
“…But I am not completely against it,” Demi admitted slowly, her cheeks flushed red at her own admission.  
Alec’s eyes lit up at this admission, “I’ll take it,”  
Demi and Alec shared a smile with one another as they sat in comfortable silence. Demi was happy that she came to speak with him. There were certain aspects that were uncertain but they would cross that bridge when it mattered.


	18. Chapter 18

Four days had passed since Jane had thanked the Witch and she still had a sick feeling in her mouth. It had also been three days since Demi had found out that she was Alec’s Mate. Jane scowled at the thought, that Witch didn’t deserve her brother and she hated that he was tied down to her. Jane wished that Alec had shown more resistance but he seemed quite content with who his Mate was. After she had let it loose about Demi to the other Volturi Guards, Alec had been quite angry with her and she had made a visible effort to stay out of his way until he had fully calmed down. At first, she had refused to apologise because it wasn’t like she was lying but as more time went on she realised how massive of a blunder it was. She may not like the Witch but it wasn’t her place to tell the other Guards about his situation. Alec would never do that to her and so after a lot of internal debate, she had apologised to her brother.  
Jane walked the hallways of the castle, trying to find something to alleviate her boredom but she was mostly unsuccessful. Usually, when she was bored, Jane would visit the secretary and tease her. Jane vaguely remembered that the woman’s name was Francesca – not that it mattered because the woman wasn’t important. She would always make the secretary do weird jobs and then watch them struggle and Felix would do the same. She and Felix were the reason the Volturi went through so many secretaries at a time. However, after the incident where Francesca spilt the beans to Demi, Alec had been livid and so Francesca had been killed. There was no way she could be left to go free because she knew their secret so killing her was the only option. Jane had heard they had employed a new secretary and it made Jane curious to know who this new person was. With a goal in mind, Jane walked towards the entrance of the castle where the secretary would be.  
It didn’t take Jane long to reach the entrance but once she did, Jane froze mid-walk. A scent danced in the air that was delicious and mouth-watering but not so much that it made her blood lust come alive. The scent in the air was raspberries with a hint of vanilla, a very sweet and tempting scent that nearly drove her insane. Instinct took over to where Jane used her Vampire speed and appeared to where the scent was coming from. However, when Jane saw who was producing such a heavenly scent, she stopped dead in her tracks.  
The scent was coming from the new secretary. The woman looked to be in her early twenties, possibly no older than twenty-one. She had pale skin with dark brown eyes and long strawberry blonde hair. She was dressed in a light blue dress that reached her knee and black kitten heels. The woman was sat at her desk, typing away with a smile on her face.  
Jane’s undead heart did a flip in her chest as she stared at the woman. An overwhelming sense of adoration and devotion filled her. Jane didn’t care about anything else but she wanted to protect this woman.  
As if sensing a gaze on her, the woman looked up and noticed Jane. “Good morning, my name is Emma, I just started today. Is there anything I can help you with?” Emma asked with a polite smile.  
Before Jane could even open her mouth, Felix made his appearance and he had a cheeky smile on his face. “Well, aren’t you charming?” He said as he walked closer to her, his eyes darkening at the scent of the woman’s blood. He had heard about the new secretary and wanted to greet her personally.  
It took all of two seconds for Jane to react to his words and body language. In a flash, Jane was in front of Felix and her eyes were pitch black. Jane snarled at him with a dark expression, her protective instincts were going wild at the thought of her Mate being in danger. Emma let out a violent gasp as she stood up, the animalist growls in the air sent her heartbeat racing in fear. Her fear only seemed to spur Jane on because her inner beast didn’t like the fact her Mate was scared.  
For a moment, Felix looked down at the tiny female Vampire in confusion and fear. Jane could be unpredictable at the best of times and he was confused as to what he had done to incur her wrath this time. Understanding soon hit him when he realised this behaviour seemed familiar, very familiar. He looked up at the scared Emma and then back down at Jane and that’s when it clicked. “Goddammit!” He yelled as he sped away and was gone in a flash.  
Once the threat was gone, Jane calmed down and stood up straight. She turned around to face her Mate only to see Emma staring at her in fear.  
“Get away from me!” Emma screeched in terror. Tears hung heavily in her eyes and she breathing bordered on hyperventilating.  
Those words felt like a physical stab and Jane recoiled back. It took her a few seconds to realise what had happened and when she did, she mentally cursed and sped away from Emma. She needed to make this situation right.

TWILIGHT 

Demi was sat in her room reading another book, one that Alec had recommended to her. At the thought of Alec, she smiled to herself. It had been three days since she had discovered that she was Alec’s Mate and things had been relatively good. He had sat down and explained everything to her and she had asked loads of questions so now she had a better understanding of what Mates were and how significant it was. Ever since then, he had been more open with his kindness, often complimenting her when she least expected it and they spent a lot of time talking with one another.  
Her bedroom door flung open and this startled her out of her thoughts. She sat up alarmed in her bed and saw Jane saunter into her room with a look of determination. “C-can I help you?” Demi stuttered slightly, in slight fear and shock.  
Jane said nothing as she marched over to Demi’s bed and grabbed her arm and forcibly pulled her up. Demi squealed at Jane’s iron tight grip and winced at how hard she had pulled her. It felt like her arm was going to snap under the pressure. Jane walked out of the room with her grip on Demi in place and no matter how much she protested, Jane didn’t listen to her.  
They made it down the hallway before Demi found her patience for the Vampire snapping, “Will you let go before you break my arm?!” Demi yelled out when she felt pain radiating from her arm. Her fire hummed in aggravation, ready to attack if need be.   
“JANE!” Alec yelled as he appeared by Demi’s side, his eyes darkened in anger.  
This seemed to snap Jane out of her daze as she realised what she’d done. She let go of Demi and stepped back.  
Demi immediately looked down at her arm and noticed a large bruise already forming on her arm in the shape of a handprint – Jane’s hand. At the mark, Alec growled angrily as he turned to Jane, “What is the matter with you?” He had stepped away for a few moments and came back to see Demi hurt by his sister of all people. To say he was furious was an understatement.  
“I need her help,” Jane’s voice was barely above a whisper but they both heard her.  
Both Demi and Alec froze and they shared a look of surprise. “W-what?” Demi stuttered in surprise, all anger forgotten. For a moment, Demi thought she had heard wrong but she knew from Alec’s shocked expression that she hadn’t.  
“What happened?” Alec asked, also confused by what just happened. His sister was coming to Demi for help. Her behaviour was all over the place and this concerned him. Usually, Jane would have more control over herself but that didn’t seem to be the case this time around.  
Annoyance filled Jane when they didn’t seem to get it, “Just come with me,” She was about to reach for Demi once more but Alec intervened. Alec gently grabbed Demi’s uninjured arm and pulled her towards him.  
“Tell us what is going on first,” Alec said. He cared for his sister deeply but she seemed a little out of sorts and so there was no way he would put Demi in her care when she was like this.  
Jane thinned her lips and looked ready to fight back but then she sighed deeply and the fight left her. “I found my Mate,”  
Alec’s eyes widened but then he smiled happily, “That’s great. Who is it?”  
“The new secretary,” Jane admitted lowly.  
Demi nearly gasped at this. Alec had been the one that told her Francesca had been replaced for what she did and knew there would be a new one soon but she had no idea it would turn out to be Jane’s Mate. It also wasn’t lost on Demi that it meant Jane’s Mate was human.  
Alec let out a laugh, “Oh the irony,”  
Jane growled at him, “Shut up!” She turned to Demi with an annoyed look from her brother’s teasing, “Now, will you help me or not?”  
There was a very brief moment that Demi was tempted to say no. Jane had not been kind to her during her stay here and now Demi had a bruise on her arm because of Jane. It was very tempting for Demi to turn Jane away and tell her to deal with it on her own but Demi couldn’t do that. Instead, she nodded her head. “Of course I’ll help.  
Jane nodded her head sharply, “Then follow me,” She turned around and walked off, not caring if Alec or Demi were following behind her.  
Alec and Demi shared a look with one another, both of them amused by Jane’s attitude but they didn’t voice this. Alec placed his hand in Demi’s as they walked down the hallways as he already knew where Jane was heading.

TWILIGHT 

Demi stood outside the kitchen door thinking about what she was going to say. Alec and Jane were nearby, discussing something Demi couldn’t hear and didn’t care to hear. Some Lower Guards had informed them that the new secretary had run into the kitchen and hadn’t come out but they knew she hasn’t left the kitchen yet. She was mentally wondering what she was going to say to a scared woman who just found out about Vampires. Demi had known about the supernatural her whole life – she was a Witch and part of a Coven so this wasn’t news to her, but it was to Emma, the new secretary. Inhaling deeply, Demi walked into the kitchen, ignoring Jane’s burning gaze on the back of her head.  
The moment Demi walked in, all she saw was a scared woman. Emma was hunched over the kitchen table with a cup of tea in hand. Emma seemed to be clutching the mug for dear life as her knuckles were paper white and she looked completely frazzled. Emma looked up, fear in her eyes as she jumped up.  
“Get back!” Emma yelled out, putting herself back into a corner.  
Demi held up her hands as a sign of surrender. “It’s alright, I am not one of them,”  
Emma visibly relaxed, “Really?” She asked weakly, her eyes glazed over with tears. It had been one heck of a first day. She had never felt so scared before and she just wanted to leave but she wasn’t allowed to.  
“Yes,” Demi whispered softly, “May I sit down?” She didn’t want to frighten the woman with any sudden movement. She thought the best course of action would be to ask permission and see what she was comfortable with.  
Shakily, Emma nodded her head.  
Slowly, Demi sat down in the seat on the other side of Emma, giving her enough distance between them. “How are you feeling?” Demi winced at the questioning, knowing that Emma wouldn’t be okay but she couldn’t help but ask.  
Emma laughed sarcastically, “I just witnessed something happen that I can’t explain. I feel like I am going crazy,” She had tried for ages to figure out what had just happened but she couldn’t come up with a reasonable explanation for anything and it stressed her out.  
“What you saw was Vampires,” Demi said bluntly but gently. She needed to rip the band-aid off, there was no use sugar-coating it, anything less would just be an insult to the woman’s intelligence. There was no point easing the woman into it gently anymore as she had seen too much too quickly and now they needed to do damage control. Aro had already given permission to tell Emma the truth and so Demi knew she wasn’t stepping out of line revealing this.  
“Vampires?” Emma repeated incredulously, “Vampires don’t exist,”  
Demi couldn’t help but marvel at the human mind, “Then how do you explain what happened?” She challenged with an arched brow. Jane had informed her of what happened so she had an idea of what went on between Emma and Jane.  
Emma went to answer but found that she couldn’t. She didn’t have an answer and that made it worse. Maybe she was going crazy. Maybe she should have listened to her mother when she told her not to travel to Volterra for a job. Looking back, Emma realised that this job was too good to be true because the pay was amazing for such a small job. They had even paid or her flight coming to Volterra and the hotel she was staying at until she found a permanent residence.  
“I am sorry for what you saw, no one should ever find out this way,” Demi said sincerely, snapping Emma out from her thoughts, “Usually, Jane doesn’t act like that,”  
Emma stared at Demi for a moment, her eyes narrowed, “You seem very young to be consoling me,”  
Demi laughed, “I may not look it, but I am seventeen years old. In my community, I am seen as an adult,” She could tell that Emma wasn’t being condescending but genuinely curious so she didn’t mind her mentioning her age.  
Emma blinked slowly, “Community?”  
“I’m a Witch,” Demi answered.  
“Prove it,” Emma challenged.  
Demi arched a brow but did as she asked. She may not be able to use actual magic but she had a little trick up her sleeve in case something like this happened. Demi raised her hand and let a ball of fire light up, it was only a small one but it proved her point.  
The moment Emma saw the fire, she shrieked and jumped back in shock and fear. “Holy shit! How’d you do that?!” Emma yelled out in amazement.  
“I’m a Witch, remember?” Demi said in a teasing voice, amused by her reaction.  
Emma slowly moved back to her seat and stared at the fire in fascination. “That’s so cool…” Now, Witches she could get behind, they didn’t seem so bad.  
Demi extinguished her flame and Emma looked slightly disappointed by it. “Believe me now?” She asked.  
Emma nodded her head, “I do. Does this mean I am not crazy?” She asked pleadingly, looking to Demi for all the answers.  
“Definitely not crazy,” Demi confirmed.  
Emma sighed in relief and leaned forward in her chair. “Thank goodness. I thought for a moment that I woke up in the Twilight zone.” She breathed in deeply before she looked to Demi, “How do you cope with this?”  
Demi shrugged her shoulders, “I’ve lived with this my whole life, and this isn’t news to me. If you have any questions, I am always here,” She smiled kindly showing that she meant what she said. Demi practically had an encyclopaedia of knowledge inside her brain and she was more than happy to share her vast knowledge.  
“What else exists?” Emma asked curiously.  
Demi smirked, this was going to be a long explanation.

TWILIGHT 

Hours later, Demi was back in her room and once she was there, she closed the door and sighed in relief. It had been a long day having to support Jane with Emma. This had been the last thing she expected to happen that day but as she said before, there was never a dull day in Volterra and she had come to like that. However, the one thing she never expected to happen was for Jane to ask for her help but Demi understood because she was the only human in the castle – or close enough anyway. Demi walked into her room and sat on her bed, sighing in contentment as she sunk into the mattress and wished it was already night time so she could go to bed. Looking at the time, she noticed how late it was and decided to put on her comfy PJs. Demi grabbed her fluffy light grey shorts, a grey cami top with pink bed socks and changed into them. As she changed, she thought back to what happened. After a long explanation, Emma seemed to understand what was happening. She hadn’t told Emma about being Jane’s Mate because that wasn’t her place to do so but she hoped Jane would give Emma enough time to adjust before she sprung anything else on the woman. Demi was snapped out of musings when the door knocked and Demi jumped up to open it, thinking that it was Jane or Emma. However, she was surprised when she saw Alec.  
“Oh, I wasn’t expecting you,” Demi said as her cheeks flushed.  
Alec smiled, “That’s alright. I just want to check up on you,”  
His concern warmed her heart and made her feel giddy. “I’ll feel better after a good night’s rest,” She giggled at her own words before she opened her door wider, “Would you like to come in?”  
Alec’s eyes widened a fraction before he nodded his head, “Of course,” There was no way he could deny spending more time with her and he would take every opportunity he would.  
Demi stepped back and let Alec walk in. He had been in her room a few times but for some reason seeing him there made her heart beat faster and made her body feel hotter than normal. She sat down on her bed and Alec sat down on the chair by her desk. Demi’s gaze flickered to Alec a few times and would look away when Alec caught her gaze. Alec smiled at this, finding her actions adorable.  
“Thank you, for helping my sister,” Alec said as he broke the silence.  
“It is fine, I am happy to help,” Demi answered sincerely, “I wasn’t expecting it either, I thought she hated me,” Their relationship was still very tense and she suspected it would be a while before there was any progress. However, Demi would see this as progress because Jane could have gone to anyone else for advice – Heidi probably would have been better – and Demi almost felt honoured that Jane picked her for help.  
Alec winced at her words, “She doesn’t hate you exactly. Just what you are,”  
Demi frowned and furrowed her brows, “What do you mean?”  
Sighing unnecessarily, Alec frowned, “Jane and I had a different upbringing from the others here.”  
Sitting up straighter in her bed, Demi gave Alec her full attention. Demi rolled over so there was room on the bed for Alec and patted it softly, silently inviting him. She hoped that he understood because she was far too embarrassed to say the words out loud. Luckily, Alec seemed to get the message and appeared in her bed in a second with a happy smile on his face. Both where sat leaning against the headboard of the bed as Demi waited for Alec to begin.  
Once Demi was settled, Alec began, “One thing to note is that I and Jane were born in a different time so things were a lot different back then. We were born to an Anglo-Saxon woman and a Frankish soldier a very long time ago. Our mother died the day we were born and so we never met her but our father would tell us stories about her when he wasn’t drunk. It turns out that she was actually a Witch and we inherited some of her powers as they manifested in us quite early on,” Demi gasped at his words and he shot her an amused look but soon his eyes turned dark, “Our father was a village drunkard and used to beat us but he was all we had. That was until he was struck down suddenly and the people in the village assumed it was us. Rumours started to fly about us having magic because bad things would happen to the people who were cruel to us. They accused us of Witchcraft and had us burned at a stake one night. They pulled us out from bed one night and we begged them to let us go but they wouldn’t listen,” Alec remembered that night very well because it was the moment his and Jane’s life had changed forever. Most of his human memories had faded over time but other memories stuck more than usual and being near Demi reminded him of things – of the good times when he was mortal.   
Demi reached out and took Alec’s hand in hers, her eyes glazed over in tears, “I am so sorry that happened to you,” Her voice broke with all the sudden emotions she was felt. She felt angry at the village and his father, sadness for what he went through and disgust for their actions that night.  
Alec squeezed her hand softly as he placed his other hand over hers, enjoying the warmth that Demi radiated. “Over time it got easier and when I and Jane had control over ourselves, we went back and killed them all. Aro said he would have done it but that right belonged to us,”  
Surprisingly, Demi agreed with his words. While she didn’t condone killing, she understood why he and Jane had done that. The Villagers were evil and had made a decision to kill two children. Though it did make her wonder what would have happened if Jane and Alec hadn’t joined the Volturi. Demi’s heart instantly ached at the thought of not seeing Alec and so she pushed those thoughts away.  
“It was actually Jane that took our transition the hardest,” Alec said.  
Demi looked at him in surprise, “Really? I thought she loved being a Vampire?”  
“She loves it now,” Alec amended with a nod of the head, “But at first she didn’t. She demanded that Aro change her back but it was irreversible. By becoming a Vampire, I and Jane had to give up our magic and she loved her magic because she felt connected with our mother. That was the only thing we had to remember her by,”  
Demi’s mouth went dry at this information. She may not have had magic but she understood where Jane was coming from and it actually made a lot of sense. “So… she’s jealous?” Demi asked hesitantly in case she was wrong.  
Alec hummed in agreement, “In a way, yes. She loves being a Vampire now and she’ll deny any of this if she finds out,” He chuckled at the end as he imagined how Jane would react to Demi knowing their secret. Aro, Caius and Marcus were the only people who knew about their past and their connection to Witchcraft.  
“Do you miss it?” Demi asked.  
Pausing for a moment, Alec thought about her question. “To an extent yes, but not anymore. At first, I felt like someone had cut off my arm but I adapted and accepted what I had become.” Alec would be the first to admit that his magic wasn’t as good compared to Jane’s who really excelled at the craft so it wasn’t much of a loss to him. However, some of that craft had transitioned with him when he became Vampire, hence why he had his gift and same with Jane.  
Slowly, Demi nodded her head as her thoughts went wild. She had no idea that Jane and Alec had been through so much in their past. In her Coven, they were just seen as monsters but if they knew about their connection to magic, maybe their opinion would change. It had certainly changed her opinion of Jane and now she felt like she understood her more. After hearing his tale, Demi wanted to share some of hers but was worried that she’d share too much. Recently, Demi had found herself becoming too relaxed in Alec’s presence and it worried her that she’d say too much and ruin everything.  
“You know, in my Coven, I am seen as the outsider,” Demi admitted softly, her heart hammering in her chest as she shared this.  
Alec looked at her in shock, “What?”  
Inhaling deeply, Demi knew there was no turning back now. “Apparently, it started with my parents. My dad was supposed to become the new Coven Leader but he betrayed the Coven and attempted to break the Treaty with the Vampires. I was left in the care of my Aunt when I was barely a year old but the Elders always treat me with suspicion as they think I am going to turn out like my mom and dad,” In the Coven, they weren’t allowed to mention her mother and father because they were seen as the biggest traitors of them all. The fact her father was about to be made Coven Leader after Scarlett personally announced Tobias as her successor was a huge deal. The American Coven had never had a Warlock Leader before and so her father was going to make history until he and her mother betrayed the Coven.  
“What happened to them?” Alec asked curiously. This was the first time that Demi had shared something so personal with him and he was touched that she was doing this.  
Dem shrugged her shoulders, trying to act nonchalant but failed. “I don’t know. They disappeared after they were caught but then their bodies turned up two years afterwards. No one knows what happened to them and the Coven never cared enough to find out. Rumours were that they killed themselves,” Camille hadn’t told her about this and she didn’t even know Demi knew all this. Demi had heard the Elders gossiping with one another and then she found the record from the person who found the bodies. Demi had never grown up with her parents but had always longed to know more about them. However, she was warned by Camille and Rhonda not to ask questions as the people in the Coven were still sensitive to what happened.  
“I’m sorry,” Alec squeezed Demi’s hand with his own, wanting nothing more than to take her pain away. Even though she refused to show it, Alec could see the pain in her green eyes and it upset him that he couldn’t do anything to soothe her pain.  
Demi swallowed thickly, “Thank you. I just wanted to prove to my Coven that I wasn’t anything like my parents and that I was useful. I asked to come here to prove everyone wrong,” There was another reason why she was considered useless in the Coven but she couldn’t share that with Alec, at least not yet.  
Alec wrapped an arm around Demi’s waist and pulled her closer to him. As soon as his cold hand touched her waist, she melted into him and got as close as she could to him, placing her head on his unmoving chest. Alec closed his eyes for a moment as he took in her delicious scent and wrapped his other arm around her, something that caused Demi’s heart to pump faster but she soon relaxed in his embrace and found that she felt safe. “You are anything but useless, Demi. You are smart, compassionate and powerful. If they think so little of you then they are fools who do not see your worth,” Alec’s voice was steady with conviction. All he wanted to do was wipe all her Coven’s nasty thoughts out of her away.  
His words filled her with warmth and touched her deeply. It reminded her of the time that he called her fire beautiful and it had opened her eyes to the truth. Demi closed her as eyes as she completely relaxed and she sighed in contentment. “Thank you, Alec, I am so glad that I have you by my side,”  
Alec chuckled as his red eyes danced in amusement, “I am glad I can be of assistance,”  
Demi looked up at his teasing tone and realised how close their faces were to one another. Up close, Demi could see how his burgundy eyes were filled with adoration that she realised was for her. She took this time to examine his strong jawline, his high cheekbones and how soft his hair looked. Lastly, her eyes landed on his lips and it was almost like she felt them calling to her. Her whole body screamed to kiss him and Demi found that she couldn’t resist this temptation anymore. After finding out about being Alec’s Mate, he had been so loving and tender towards her and it just melted her heart. Slowly and almost shyly, Demi moved forward until they were inches apart, her breath danced in his lips.  
“Demi…” Alec’s eyes darkened a touch and his voice was raw in anticipation. He had watched Demi with eagerness, wondering what she going to do. He was allowing her to take the lead as he was happy to go at her pace but this was torture. The heat of her body warmed him and made him feel things he hadn’t felt before. He had never felt this explicit need for someone before, not even for blood, this was a different kind of desire she had stirred inside him.  
Demi was practically shaking in nerves and the need in his voice alone made something inside her purr. Demi closed her eyes and leaned forward until their lips touched and it took everything inside Demi not to gasp on contact when she felt a spark run through her. All rational thoughts left her brain and her body practically turned to mush especially when Alec moved his arm and rested it on the side of her face, the coldness of his skin clashing deliciously against her warmth. His lips were cold but surprisingly softer than what she expected and it made her mind spin at how good his lips felt against hers.  
It was Alec who had to pull back first when he realised that humans needed to breathe and he was glad he did. Demi panted deeply, greedily taking back the air she had lost. She had been so overwhelmed by the kiss she had forgotten to breathe through her nose. Alec’s darkened eyes honed in on her slightly swollen lips and he felt a sense of male pride full him. It had only been a chaste kiss but his inner beast purred in the satisfaction that he had made her breathless with one kiss. It made him imagine all the other things he could do to make her breathless and soon a smirk spread across his face.   
“T-that was…” Demi stuttered breathlessly, unable to finish her sentence because her mind was still in a fog.  
“Amazing,” Alec finished for her, understanding completely that her mind needed a few moments to catch up.  
Soon, a happy and shy smile stretched across Demi’s face which only served to make her look adorable to him. “It was,” At first, the thought of being his Mate had been scary but now it didn’t seem as daunting anymore and she felt herself become more accepting towards the new term.  
If Alec had his way, he would have continued to kiss Demi senseless but he knew she’d had enough that night. Alec didn’t want to push her any more than she was comfortable with. Instead, he settled by holding her close to his chest and placed his head on top of hers. Demi snuggled into his cool embrace and soon found herself drifting off to sleep with a smile on her face.


	19. Chapter 19

Two days had passed and things seemed to have settled down within Volterra. For the past two days, Alec had been nothing but kind and patient, something that warmed her heart. The more time she spent with Alec, the happier she felt and she had noticed a change in Alec. Ever since their first kiss, they had been sending even more time together and it seemed as though he wasn’t holding back his feelings anymore, something that embarrassed Demi. She was seeing him in a new light and it was one that suited him.  
During the two days, there hadn’t been another move against the Volturi but that didn’t mean they were any less vigilant. Patrols were now happening in pairs to ensure there were no further incidents and no one questioned this decision, not even Jane. Demi had been added onto the rota for patrolling the area because she refused to sit by and do nothing and for once, she and Caius seemed to be in agreement. Aro had been reluctant to let her go because of the massive target on her back but it was Marcus that broke the tie and pointed out the usefulness of her magic. With two against one, Aro had no choice but to relent. Surprisingly, Alec had no issue with Demi joining the patrols but he was confident that Demi could take care of herself – something that boosted her confidence. Nevertheless, with Demi being added to the patrols, she was paired with different Vampire every day, she had been paired with Heidi and Chelsea for the past two days and so far Demi had a very good time. However, for that day, she had been paired with Jane.  
Jane and Demi walked around the surrounding area in complete silence – awkward silent for Demi. When it had been announced who her partner was, Jane had not been happy in the slightest and had tried to protest but it had fallen on deaf ears. Jane had a permanent scowl on her usually beautiful face and Demi had half a mind to suggest switching partners but Alec had confided in her that he wished she and Jane could get along so Demi was willing to try.  
Demi swallowed nervously, “So…how is Emma?” She tried to think of anything to say and this was the only topic that came to mind. Other than her past and reputation, Demi didn’t know much about Jane.  
“Fine,” Jane answered dryly.  
Demi thinned her lips, not believing the answer. During the last two days, Demi hadn’t seen much of Emma and she was worried about her. “Has she managed to get around the fact the supernatural exists?”  
“Why do you care?” Jane asked sharply, annoyance in her eyes.  
Irritation filled Demi, all fear about Jane gone. Ever since Alec had shared about their past, she had begun to see Jane in a new light – one that wasn’t so untouchable and scary. “I’m trying to be nice. I am also concerned for Emma and I want to make sure she is okay.”  
“Why?” Jane snapped back, her eyes flashing in anger at the mention of her Mate.  
Internally sighing to herself, Demi mentally willed herself not to let her irritation get any worse. She counted to ten in her head and then inhaled deeply. “I just wanted to know if you need any help at all,”  
Jane scowled darkly, “As if I need help from the likes of you,”  
Any patience for Jane was immediately gone with that one reply. Demi stopped walking and so did Jane, her anger finally coming to ahead. It had been slowly building up the past few days and she had enough. “I have had it with your attitude. I have been nothing but courteous but you have been nothing but rude and horrible!” Demi’s voice echoed through the forest but she didn’t care at this point, anger being the main emotion she was feeling.  
For a moment, Jane was surprised but that soon morphed into ire, “Don’t you dare speak to me like that, Witch!”  
Demi scoffed, “Is that meant to be an insult? Can’t think of anything more imaginative?”  
“Oh I can,” Jane answered back icily, “But none are appropriate for someone of your standing,” The smile was purely sarcastic and filled with venom.  
Demi’s cheeks flushed in anger at the dig and she clenched her fists. She felt her fire pulse under her skin and she had half a mind to show Jane exactly what she could do. “Why are you so horrible to everyone?! I have done nothing to you!”  
“You breathe, that is enough,” Jane answered back.  
Hatred filled Demi, she had never hated someone as much as she did now. The palms of her hands heated up and she didn’t push it back, “Or, it could be because I am a Witch,” The tone of Demi’s voice was filled with a smugness that it almost surprised her.  
Jane sent her a surprised look but soon she scowled, “Alec told you,” Her fists clenched as her eyes darkened in anger.  
“And he told me a lot more than that,” Demi smirked, finally having gained the upper hand. She felt no remorse for spilling these secrets because it was about time someone put Jane in her place and Demi didn’t mind being the one to do it.  
“You don’t deserve him!” Jane hissed out. “He is far too good for you, he’ll only be pulled down by your incompetence!”  
Demi sneered at the sharp jab, “And you don’t deserve Emma! You’re a horrible, nasty Vampire that doesn’t deserve to find a moment of happiness!”  
In response, Jane lifted her hand as if she was ready to attack and Demi also raised her hand in reaction but then Jane stilled and her eyes lost all anger. This confused Demi enough to pause as did her fire, confusion filled her as she didn’t understand why Jane had stopped. She knew it must have been serious because Jane would usually stop for no one.  
“They’re here,” Jane muttered lowly, her red eyes scanning the area around them.  
For a moment, Demi wondered if Jane was joking so she could attack her when she wasn’t looking. However, those thoughts quickly died when she heard a rustle from the bushes. Demi’s followed Jane’s suit and watched the surrounding area with cautious eyes, her shoulders tensed. For a moment, Demi thought she saw something dark dart from her peripheral vision and turned her head instinctively.  
That’s when all hell broke loose.  
Nearly fifty Vampires jumped out and seemed to swarm the entire area. All were big with menacing red eyes and seemed to ooze blood lust. Demi noted how similar they all looked to the Vampire that paralysed her days previous but there was one who stood in front of them all. It was a Vampire Demi had seen before and the sight of him made her breath catch in her throat. It was Stefan. She watched as he stared at her curiously but he quickly dismissed her and his burgundy eyes focused on Jane.  
“I thought you killed off most of them,” Demi muttered lowly to Jane.  
Jane’s eyes honed in on Stefan, who looked impossibly smug, “We thought so too,” She hissed back angrily. She realised that the Volturi had been tricked to believe the Romanian’s numbers were lower than they actually were.  
Stefan smirked, hearing their exchange, “We’ve been up to a lot lately, not that any of you were smart enough to figure it out,” His smirk was filled with a haughtiness that it caused Demi’s ire to climb up further for the Vampire.  
“Oh, you’re talking about magic. We know all about that,” Jane answered with an easy smirk,  
The smirk on Stefan’s face dropped for a moment but he quickly recovered. “No matter, you won’t be around long enough to see the results,”  
Demi tensed at his words and mentally readied herself. She knew that neither she nor Jane was going to make it out without a fight. Demi took in the number of Vampires there were and doubt started to creep in – there was only two of them compared to their army of Vampires. They needed reinforcement from the other members of Volturi and they needed it soon. However, Demi didn’t get long to ponder an idea before Stefan gave the signal.  
“Attack!” Stefan yelled as he ran forward towards Jane, his eyes blazed in determination.  
All the Romanian Vampires charged that’s when things became blurry for Demi. All she knew was that she surrounded by enemies from all directions and she needed to fight to stay alive. Fire came alive at her fingertips and she watched as the Vampire’s expression morphed from smugness to fear and she revelled in it. Now that Demi didn’t have any repressors holding her back, her fire roared in pleasure and freedom, something it hadn’t experienced for a long time. Her fire changed at her will, moving as she wanted it to and when she wanted it to. Her first instinct had been to create a ring of fire around herself so even if they did get close, they had no chance of actually touching her. Smoke filled the air and so did the smell of burning Vampire corpses – not a very pleasant smell but it was one that Demi was getting used to more than she should. The Vampires were too fast for Demi’s eyes to keep up with so she mostly had to guess where they going to go and set the fire there and hope it went well. One by one, the Vampires that attacked her went up in flames and none of them even got close.

When the attacks stopped, Demi lowered her arms and looked around the area but never once lowered the ring of fire around her, just in case there was a surprise attack waiting for her. For a moment, she was taken aback when she saw the scene in front of her as her mind came back into focus. The entire area was scorched to hell, there was no grass, no trees and no bushes and it made Demi wince at the sight. Demi tried to look for Jane but she was nowhere to be seen that worried her. They weren’t supposed to get separated but during the fray of the fight, Jane must have gone elsewhere and Demi also couldn’t spot Stefan anywhere. Demi mentally counted the burned bodies of the Vampires and counted twelve altogether.

The horror immediately set in and Demi had a sense of foreboding. It was a very similar feeling to when she and Alec had been split up and all her hairs stood on end. From her calculations, that meant Jane had been left on her own with at least thirty Vampires and that included Stefan – who was older and more physically powerful than she was. Demi knew that those odds weren’t good, there was no way Jane could fight against that many Vampires at once. One of the limitations to Jane’s gift was that it could only be used on one person at a time and she needed to focus on that person. The Romanian’s wouldn’t award Jane such a luxury and so she would have a choice but to engage in a physical battle, one that Demi wasn’t confident Jane could win.  
They needed reinforcements and quickly. Acting fast, Demi shot her hand up into the sky and sent a fireball upwards and willed it to explode in the air. The explosion boomed in the air like a firework before it calmed down but the signal was sent. Demi was confident that someone in the Volturi would understand this signal and ran off to try and find Jane. With the goal in mind, Demi ran around the area, trying to listen for any sounds that might give away Jane’s location. As she searched, Demi heard the distinct sound of hissing, a sound that she associated heavily with Vampires and immediately headed in that direction at a fast pace.

The scene that welcomed Demi was carnage. Just like in the other attack, the area was littered with bodies, maybe around fifteen bodies with heads and limbs removed. In the middle of the clearing was Jane, who was pinned to the ground by the remaining Vampires. Stefan stood over her with an evil look in his eyes and he held a needle in his hand. Demi could practically taste the magic in the air and she instantly knew that the needle was a magical object.  
“I have waited a long time for this moment,” Stefan said with a smirk, the needle in hand.  
In response, Jane hissed at him angrily as she wriggled to get free.  
Within the blink of an eye, Stefan slammed down the needle into Jane’s neck and managed to puncture the skin. Jane gasped in horror when she felt the needle puncture her and she stared at Stefan in shock.  
“What have you done?!” Jane yelled at him.  
Stefan never got a chance to answer the question because that was the moment Demi sprang into action. With a flick of her wrists, Demi had lit a fire around the area, blocking them in and also burned all the discarded bodies that littered the ground. Stefan and Jane turned to face Demi in surprise.  
“Get away from her,” Demi warned as fire danced at her fingertips.  
At this, Stefan glared at her, “You have been a thorn in our side for far too long,” Within a flash, Stefan lunged at her, ready to attack.  
“You idiot! Get out of here!” Jane yelled at her.  
However, Demi ignored her and summoned a ring of fire to protect herself. Stefan stopped when he was inches away and hissed at her angrily but not getting any closer. Demi smirked cracked her knuckles, ready to push herself and see what she could really do with her fire. Fire poured out of Demi’s hands and floated into the air before it formed together. The fire transformed as it grew bigger and soon it looked like a dragon made out of the fire.  
Stefan stared at the fire, fear in his eyes as he took a step back as if trying to get away from the excruciating heat.

While Stefan was distracted, Jane turned to the Vampires that held her down and began working on them one at a time. She watched in satisfaction as one withered on the ground, screaming in agony but was surprised when that Vampire went up in flames, writhing in agony. Jane looked over to Demi in shock and found the Witch smiling at her. Jane quirked a brow before she smirked and returned back to her task of getting free.   
The fire dragon opened its mouth as if to roar but no sound came out. Instead, the fire dragon slithered down and chased after Stefan, who was running away from the fire as if his life depended on it – which it did. Stefan could feel the inferno coming for him and in those flames, he saw his death, something he was trying to avoid.

With Stefan occupied with her fire dragon, Demi turned her attention to the Vampire holding down Jane. She had done a good job by dealing with at least five Romanian Vampires but she seemed to be struggling. The more Demi focused on the situation, the more she noticed something was wrong with the scene before. Jane appeared to be only using her right arm and it took Demi a few moments to realise that Jane’s left arm had been ripped off. If she hadn’t been so focused, this would have shocked Demi but she quickly moved on. Starting with the Vampires furthest away from Jane, Demi sent her fire after them. She watched as they struggled to decide whether to stay and follow their mission or to run for their lives. However, every fireball she threw, it sent them running away so they didn’t burn to their death.

Fatigue was starting to hit Demi, she had never used her power for this long and to this extent and she started to wonder if she had pushed it too far. However, she had to push this aside because now was not the time to fall behind, not when there were enemies nearby who would sooner see her killed than anything.  
Jane seemed to be struggling with only one arm and was still being held down by at least fifteen Vampires. She snarled at them angrily as she demanded them to let her go but they never relented.  
Sweat clung to Demi’s forehead as she felt like her body was going to collapse. The fire dragon she had circling Stefan was taking a huge chunk of her energy and so was the circle of fire she had around herself for protection. In the end, Demi had to stop throwing fireballs because she just couldn’t do it anymore. She refused to let Stefan get free because he would just return to Jane and trying to kill her. The other Romanian Vampires seemed far too occupied in keeping Jane pinned down to the ground to even try and make a move on her. Demi knew that she needed to wait for back up – which she hoped would come very soon.

Luckily, she didn’t have to wait too long. Moments later, a loud roar filled the air and it was one that Demi recognised – it was Alec. Alec appeared on the scene with Felix and Heidi right behind him. Alec took one look at Demi and saw her struggling state and this caused his eyes to darken considerably. Within a flash, Alec ran over to Jane and threw the Vampires off his sister in the direction of Heidi and Felix, who easily ripped their heads off in a flash.  
Santiago and Demetri soon appeared on the scene and went off after Stefan. The fire dragon had cornered him to the point where he couldn’t move without being incinerated that’s when Demetri and Santiago caught him. Once Stefan was in the hands of the Volturi, Demi released the fire dragon and allowed it to disappear into thin air. Instant relief filled Demi as there was no longer a strain on her power anymore and seeing there was reinforcement allowed her to lower her firewall around her. Demi fell to her knees as a wave of exhaustion hit her hard. She felt very close to passing out but she refused to blackout at such a crucial time. Demi forced her to keep her head up and watched as Demetri held Stefan down as Santiago ripped his head off and threw the remains in the fire Demi had lit earlier.  
Within minutes, Alec was by her side. “Are you okay?” His eyes scanned her form, trying to see if there were any injuries but she couldn’t see any.  
Demi smiled weakly, “Just tired,”  
Alec nodded his head in understanding and kneeled down next to her. He put his arm under her knees and the other on her back before he lifted her up bridal style. Demi squeaked at the sudden movement but otherwise didn’t protest because she was much too tired to deal with anything at the moment. Instead, she sighed deeply and leaned her head on Alec’s shoulder. Alec smiled slightly and kissed the top of her head affectionately before he walked over to Jane and Heidi.  
Heidi was helping to reattach Jane’s arm back on and just finished as Alec and Demi came over. Demi looked down at Jane and smiled wearily, “How are you fairing?”  
Jane stared at Demi for a moment before she nodded, “I’ve had worse,”  
“How are you feeling, biscuit?” Heidi asked in concern.  
Demi smiled at her weakly, “I am just tired. I haven’t used as much energy like that before,”  
“Well you are only human,” Jane answered back plainly and received sharp glances from both Alec and Heidi. Eventually, Jane sighed and rolled her eyes, “But you did well for a human,”  
“Thank you,” Demi replied back, the smile on her face growing bigger as she shared an amused look with Alec.  
Jane held her head up high, “Now, let’s head back. I want to present Aro with Stefan’s head,” She briefly glanced at the severed head in Santiago’s hand and took a step forward. However, the moment she took one step, the world around her became dizzy and she collapsed on the ground.  
“Jane!” Alec exclaimed as he kneeled down with Demi still in his arms.  
Demi peered down at Jane and found the Vampire’s eyes closed. “Is…she dead?” She asked hesitantly. She had never seen this happen before. Jane’s chest wasn’t moving but it didn’t beforehand and she wasn’t moving at all. To Demi, it appeared as though Jane was actually dead.  
Heidi shook her head, her eyes wide in shock, “She’s not dead,”  
“She’s unconscious,” Alec finished in shock. He looked up to Santiago, Felix and Demetri nearby who all looked shocked at this development, “We need to get back to the castle, now.”

TWILIGHT 

It took minutes for them to all arrive back at the castle. Heidi, who carried the unconscious Jane, brought her to the unused medical wing of the castle. The medical wing was never used as it was never needed, but it was kept there because Aro liked the aesthetic of it. Heidi placed Jane down and Felix and Demetri went to go get the Three Kings. Once they were back in the castle, Demi had requested for Alec to let her down, he was reluctant to do this but he gave in to Demi’s request once they were back in the castle. Demi was feeling better than before but she assumed that it was the adrenaline and she was sure all the other Vampires could smell this.  
Aro, Caius and Marcus appeared in seconds, with Felix and Demetri behind them. As soon as Aro saw an unconscious Jane, he gasped and was by her side in moments.  
“What happened?” Caius demanded.  
“Stefan injected her with something. It looked like a needle,” Demi answered back. She wasn’t close enough to see exactly what item had been used because her eyesight wasn’t that great.  
Heidi frowned, “You mean this?” She put a hand into her pocket and pulled out a needle. She had seen it near Jane and it seemed off so she grabbed it just in case. She got a weird feeling around this needle and she planned to ask Jane and Demi about it later.  
Demi's eyes widened when she saw the item, instantly able to taste the magic in the air. “That’s it.”  
“But, needles shouldn’t be able to penetrate our skin,” Felix pointed out with a frown. Vampire skin was meant to be impenetrable to nearly everything. Their skin was stronger than even diamonds but it appeared as though the needle was made of stronger stuff.  
Caius motioned for Heidi to hand over the needle and she did so without complaint. Caius examined the needle with narrowed eyes as if he was trying to decipher its secrets. When he couldn’t find anything, he handed it over to Aro who did the same thing and so did Marcus. Eventually, it ended up in Demi’s hand and the moment she touched it, she felt something. Demi took a closer look at the needle point and noticed something different about it. It felt like a different material and it looked visibly different from a usual needle.   
“Teeth,” Demi said when she felt an earthy taste of magic and it triggered a memory, “The tip is made from the teeth of the Children of the Moon,” There were very few things that could cut through a Vampire’s usually impenetrable skin. One of them included teeth of the Children of the Moon and Vampire teeth. Demi had only ever met one Child of the Moon and the magic she felt from the needle reminded her of that encounter from years ago.  
Caius’ eyes flashed in hatred as he subconsciously reached for the fang from the Child of the Moon he had killed that hung around his neck. It was one of his most prized possessions and he fashioned it into a necklace to let others know what he had accomplished. He had made it his mission to exterminate the race but even he could find them all as they remained hidden from his grasp.  
Alec frowned in worry, “But what did they inject?” He looked at his sister in concern.  
The room fell silent as they all wondered this question. No one knew what Stefan had injected Jane with but it was enough where she was rendered unconscious. Demi looked down at the needle and noticed a little bit of fluid still left in the needle and pulled the back off until it came completely loose. Demi sniffed the fluid and frowned at the familiar smell and but then paled when she realised why the smell was familiar.  
“Poison. Stefan injected Jane with poison,” Demi said as she walked over to Jane.  
“Impossible!” Caius hissed.  
Aro frowned, “How can you be sure?” All the Vampires in the room turned to face Demi and watched as she walked over to Jane.  
Demi looked for the puncture wound and saw a very small hole in the neck. She then checked Jane’s eyes, opening them and saw how Jane’s pupils were massive – more than it should be. Demi had a lot of experience working with poisons as well as their antidotes. She had studied her potions books thousands of times and she could name every toxic substance and their effects, in alphabetical order or severity depending on how she felt. However, none of those poisons alone should have been able to take down a Vampire because usually, their venom would stop it, destroying it instantly. “Smell this, tell me what you smell?” Demi asked as she handed the open needle to Alec. She had an idea of what was in the poison but she needed it confirmed first before she said anything.  
Alec took the needle and sniffed it suspiciously. His eyes widened when he smelt something familiar, “Venom. I smell Jane’s venom in this mixture,” A Vampire’s scent came from their venom. Even though there was only a small amount, the scent was noticeable and it astonished him that someone had managed to get Jane’s venom.  
Demi nodded her head. “The Witch is behind this. She has found a way to poison Vampires using their own venom. I don’t know how she managed to get this venom but she has weaponised it and targeted Jane.” From her understanding of Vampire’s venom, it destroyed any substance it touched and yet this Witch had managed to stabilise it enough for it to mix with a poison.  
“Then you can heal her,” Felix pointed out.  
For a moment, Demi hesitated. “I can, but it will take time. I need to make the antidote,” She was already thinking about all the different potions she could use. This was a very unique poison and it would need a very delicate antidote to combat against it.  
Heidi frowned, “But can’t you just use magic?”  
Demi was about to answer but Caius cut in. “She can’t because she doesn’t have magic,” He said, his eyes darkened to the point they were nearly black. He stared at Demi with a blank expression that made him look heartless.  
The room fell silent as every either looked at Caius or Demi. Demi’s heart felt like she was going to explode in her chest.

TWILIGHT 

Many miles away

Vladimir waited in an undisclosed location, a grim expression on his face. His whole body tensed up and his eyes darkened considerably more than usual. He had received the news that Stefan was dead, his head had been removed and his body burned. Vladimir suspected that Stefan’s head had been taken as a trophy that Aro and Caius would keep to rub in his face. The Volturi and the Romanians had danced with one another for far too long for them not to hold onto Stefan’s head like a reward. He supposed the only aspect made him feel better was that Stefan’s fight was over and he didn’t have to suffer any longer.   
Not too long later, the cloaked woman walked in so casually that it made Vladimir’s venom boil. He had lost a dear friend and this Witch had lost nothing. “You’re late,” He hissed out, his eyes darkening further in anger.  
The woman regarded Vladimir, “I’m a busy person.”  
Vladimir held back a snarl. He wanted nothing more than to snap the Witch’s neck for her obliviousness and superior attitude. It was a very tempting thing to break the agreement between them but this was the furthest they had ever come to defeating the Volturi and he wasn’t about to give it up.  
“Was today a success?” The woman asked expectantly.  
Pushing down his rage, Vladimir nodded his head. “It was. Jane was injected with the concoction,” He wasn’t sure what was in the needle and he was very curious to know what could have brought down Jane.  
“Excellent,” The woman said, satisfied with his answer, “Now, if all goes to plan, Jane should be dead in two days,” The poison and venom acting together would soon bring down one of Aro’s most prized pets. With the venom, it would stop Jane’s natural venom from destroying the poison but the poison would do its work and kill Jane with nothing to stop it. Not even a Vampire could survive this without their venom combating against it.  
For a moment, Vladimir wanted to protest but he knew better. Instead, he just nodded his head even though he wasn’t very happy with the results. With how the woman had warned him, he had expected the results to be instantaneous. He supposed that two days was better than nothing, he had waited longer than that.  
“Were there any complications along the way?” The woman asked, only half interested.  
“Stefan is dead,” Vladimir hissed back, “That Witch helped to kill him,” The spy he sent had come back scared and frightened. The spy had reported back what happened and when the Witch’s presence was mentioned, Vladimir was livid. He had thought she was dead, just as the cloaked woman assured, but she was wrong.  
The cloaked woman visibly bristled, “WHAT?!” There was a crackle in the air as the woman’s magic went haywire.  
Vladimir swallowed unnecessarily, the amount of magic in the air was stifling.  
“Why the hell won’t she die?” The cloaked woman muttered to herself, but Vladimir heard every word. The woman looked to him, “I am adding another step in our plan. The Witch is to be killed. It seems she is more slippery than I anticipated and I want her dead.”  
For once, Vladimir was more than happy with this order. “With pleasure,” He smirked as he imagined all the ways he would make the Witch pay.


	20. Chapter 20

Demi stared at Caius in shock, not able to comprehend what she just heard. She knew what he said but she couldn’t believe he knew. How could he have possibly known? Demi thought she had been really good at keeping her secret but evidently not. She wondered what had given her away. Demi had half a mind to deny what they said and pretend they were wrong, but she knew they would be able to tell she was lying by her heartbeat. Demi was a terrible liar, to begin with, and having her heartbeat monitored wouldn’t help.  
“W-what?” Demi stuttered, unable to think of a reply.  
Aro frowned, “We know, Demi,”  
“Did you really think you could deceive us?” Caius demanded harshly.  
It felt like her head was going to explode and her heart was going burst from her chest. She couldn’t look at anyone she was too embarrassed. “I wasn’t trying to deceive you!” Demi argued back in a panic. This was the last thing she had wanted them to think.  
“More lies!” Caius yelled.  
Demi flinched back at his tone and she looked over to Alec, only to find that he couldn’t even look at her. This broke her heart and made her feel ten times worse. “What gave it away?” Demi whispered lowly in defeat.  
Aro was the one to answer this. “Your fire. I have never seen a Witch with such power besides one person. You also seemed to heavily rely on the fire, never straying away from that element whereas other Witches like to mix it up.” When it came to magic, Witches liked to show off their magical prowess, a reason why Jane hated them so much.  
Demi could say nothing as they were all right. She knew about the person he was referring to and it was Scarlett. In her Coven’s history, there has only ever been one other person to wield fire like Demi and that was Scarlett. Demi was nowhere near Scarlett’s level – not that she ever claimed to be.  
“I think it’s best if we revisit this another time. We have to look after Jane first, and then we’ll deal with this unfaithfulness,” Aro commented as he motioned to Felix and Demetri. “Take Demi to her room and make sure she doesn’t leave until we have summoned her,”  
Felix and Demetri sauntered over to her and Demi said nothing as they walked her out of the room. She was glad they hadn’t grabbed her but they never said anything to her which she decided was much worse. As Demi walked out, she tried to look at Heidi but the Vampire avoided her eyes and that made Demi feel even shoddier. Demi turned back around and continued to walk back to her room in exile. The shame she felt was unrelenting, she felt like she had seriously deceived everyone’s trust and it was all to protect her Coven. Demi was torn, she didn’t know what to think anymore. She wanted to defend herself but she knew there was little point in that. The Volturi wouldn’t take betray lying down and she had been found out. Demi had feared she would be found out but she never expected the emotional backlash and that hurt more than anything.  
“I am sorry,” Demi whispered lowly, knowing that both Demetri and Felix heard her.  
Due to her standing behind them, Demi never saw their expression. The frown on Felix’s face was massive and Demetri looked void of any emotion. However, when they heard the pain in Demi’s voice, neither of them could hide how they felt. Her voice made her sound like a wounded animal and Felix wanted to so badly console her but he knew he couldn’t. Demetri could practically hear Heidi’s heartbreak by Demi’s voice and he wanted to soothe that pain so desperately.  
It didn’t take long for Demi to reach her room. Once she saw her door, her heart felt heavy. She knew the moment she was inside, she would be held, prisoner. She would no longer be treated as a guest within the Volturi but rather a captive. Demi opened her door and stepped inside, not feeling any warmth from her room. Just that morning, her room felt like home but now it just felt cold and desolate. Her green eyes scanned the room and noted her opened potions case from that morning. As soon as she saw the potions case, she darted towards it and desperately began looking for something, for one specific vial. Demi knew that she needed to prove to the Volturi that she was still on their side because she was. She cared for each and every one of them – even Jane. If she could help Jane, maybe they would give her a chance to explain.  
Demi grabbed the necessary bottle, “Wait!” She yelled out as Demetri was about to shut her door.  
Demetri stopped and he and Felix turned to look at her. “Do you need anything?” Demetri asked with a blank expression, though it was forced.  
“Give this to Jane, please,” Demi asked as she handed over the small vial.  
Felix frowned and looked down at is curious, “Why? What’s in it?”  
“The poison that was in the needle, this is the antidote.” Demi said, breathless and rushed out, “By giving her this, it will slow down the effects of venom temporarily and give you more time to cure her completely,” Demi had recognised the poison in the needle, it was Botulinum toxin, one the most deadly poisons around. Due to being a potions fanatic, Demi had a cure for most poisons as it was her mission to not get left behind. Making this antitoxin was difficult and took ages to make but it would help Jane so she was more than willing to part with it. She could always make more anyway.  
Demetri and Felix seemed hesitant, “But you can’t use magic,” Demetri said, confused as to how this would work.  
Demi rolled her eyes in frustration. “Look, I know I can’t use magic. You don’t need to be able to use magic to make a potion. It will help her, but if you don’t give her this, she could die. She has an unknown concoction in her body, the venom will be counteracting anything from stopping the poison taking effect. She will die and nothing will be able to bring her back and then that Witch and the Romanian Vampires have won,” Demi’s voice was like steel as she explained everything. She needed them to believe her.  
Both Felix and Demetri fell silent as they considered her words. Eventually, Felix gently took the vial from her hand, “We’ll give it to her,”  
“How much does she need?” Demetri asked as he looked at the vial.  
Demi smiled, thankful that they still trusted her to an extent, “She needs all of it otherwise it won’t work. I don’t have another vial because it’s very complex to make. Make it count,” This antidote was a one-person dose unlike a lot of other antidotes. If Jane didn’t receive the full dose then it wouldn’t work and the poison would continue to work through her.  
Demetri and Felix nodded their heads and then they were gone in a flash. When they were gone, Demi sighed deeply and shut her door. She had done everything she could to help Jane. If it didn’t work then she didn’t know what would happen. Demi looked at her potions case and decided to get to work, she needed to figure out what else could help Jane. Demi grabbed a potions book from her wardrobe and began flicking through it, trying to remember if there was another potion that could help.

TWILIGHT 

Later that same day 

Hours had passed and Demi was still in her room. In that time, she had spent it looking through her potion books but had yet to yield any results. There was no other potion that could help heal Jane, the concoction that was inside Jane had yet to be written down in any of the books and Demi suspected that this was an invention of the rogue Witch. However, this made Demi suspicious. Whoever this Witch was had to be very talented as potions and they seemed to have a flair for poisons. Poisons weren’t used much in her Coven because they were seen as crude and could cause too much tension. Her Coven had a bad history with the toxic substance because someone had tried to kill a past Coven Leader through poisoning and it had caused a civil war between all the Covens. Demi could count on one hand on the number of Witches she knew that dabbled in poisons – three Witches to be exact.  
Demi was snapped out of her musing by a knock on the door. Standing up, Demi walked over to the door and opened it, revealing a Lower Guard. “The Masters would like to speak with you,” The Lower Guard said in a low voice.  
Nodding her head, Demi moved out the door, closing it behind her. She then followed after the Lower Guard, not saying a word. Her fire hummed under her skin, still tired from the fight she had that morning but it was still there. It was almost like it was letting her know it was ready to fight their way out if needed. That thought made Demi quirk a grin but otherwise did nothing else.  
It didn’t take long before they reached the Throne Room. Demi inhaled deeply, trying to calm her beating heart rate. This was where she would meet her fate – and would more than likely be kicked out and sent back to her Coven in disgrace. Steeling her nerves, Demi held her head high as she walked into the room. The first thing she noticed was that everyone seemed to be in attendance, except for Jane and Heidi. All the Inner Circle was present with Aro, Caius and Marcus sat in their thrones. The Guards were stood at the edge of the room leaving the centre stage for her to stand as if she was on trial. Demi spotted Alec on the wall near the Kings but he wouldn’t look at her which made her confidence waver slightly but she pushed this aside as she had other issues to deal with. Demi looked to Felix, who winked at her discreetly, letting her know they had accomplished the goal. This made her feel better knowing she had done something right.  
Caius scowled when he saw her but otherwise didn’t say anything. Marcus gave no indication that he cared and Aro stared at her for a few moments as she walked further into the room. “Thank you for joining us, Demi,” Aro said calmly.  
Demi nodded her head stiffly but otherwise didn’t say anything.  
“Before we do anything, I would like to ask some questions,” Aro said, “Why did you lie about being a Witch?”  
Demi swallowed thickly, “Technically, I didn’t lie. I have never once outright said that I had magic, though I have never said I don’t either. I am a Witch by birth right, my father was a Warlock and my mother a Witch. I just don’t have any magic of my own,” Demi had been careful with her wording because she didn’t want anyone to know about her lack of magic. She knew they would be able to tell she was lying because she was a terrible liar.  
Caius hissed lowly, “Technicalities! This is an insult to our intelligence!”  
Ignoring his brother, Aro frowned, “Then how do you possess your fire power if you are without magic?”

“Scarlett,” Demi answered, “When I was ten years old, Scarlett gifted me with this fire power.” When she was younger, she didn’t see this fire as a gift but now she did. Demi understood that she had been given another chance with this power and it took Alec for her to realise this. Demi didn’t know what Scarlett had seen in her that day but now she was grateful because Demi didn’t know where she would be today without it.  
Aro made a noise of understanding and even Caius seemed to relax at the name. It was common knowledge that Scarlett was one of the only Witches he could tolerate – a very huge achievement. Scarlett was one of the only people who could mouth off to Caius and Aro and yet they would still love her. There was no one else like Scarlett out there and even the Volturi had not been happy when Scarlett stepped down as Coven Leader. There was a legend in her Coven that every few generations there is a powerful Witch or Warlock and their magic would stand above the rest. Scarlett was believed to be part of that legend as she had been their most powerful Coven Leader to date.  
Inhaling deeply, Demi looked to Aro directly, “May I explain my story? That way you can make a more informed decision,”

For a moment, Demi thought Aro was going to refuse her request but instead he nodded his head, “You may,” He looked to his brothers and neither Caius nor Marcus refuted this request. They too were curious as to know more about her story.  
Relief shot through her. At least she had a chance to defend herself, even if it made no difference she could get to say her piece. “I have always wanted to use magic, it was a dream of mine to become like my Aunt. Witches are meant to show an infinity to magic at around nine years old but I did. I was devastated and it only made life in the Coven worse. Due to my not having magic, I was treated worse by the people in the Coven, I was seen as the outsider and my lineage didn’t help. My parents are seen as traitors and so the Elders wanted me out but Camille is the only one who stood by me. When my fire powers came in, it was even worse. People were scared of me and I was completely alone.” Tears stung the back of her eyes as she remembered the names people would whisper behind her back. Children could be cruel and all she could remember throughout her childhood was being alone. That crushing anxiety of people coming close to her came from the fact people would throw things at her and run away screaming in terror if she took even a step closer.

Alec tensed as he smelled the tears in the air. Every instinct in his body screamed at him to comfort his Mate but he couldn’t.  
Caius frowned at her words, “Then why would you come to us as their representative if they treated you so badly?”  
“I wanted to prove to them I could do this,” Demi answered back, “I wanted to show them that I was useful. I wasn’t lying when I said I volunteered, I really did.” If she came back to the Coven with the Treaty still intact, she was sure that others would respect her, they would have to. There was no way the Elders could see her as useless and Camille wouldn’t have to keep fighting her corner when they demanded that she be thrown out.  
Aro hummed in thought, “Why was your lack of magic not disclosed beforehand? Surely this could have been prevented,” Her lack of magic was not the issue, it was the fact it was concealed from them so blatantly.   
Demi shook her head, “I was given a direct order from the Coven Leader for this not to come out. I really had no choice in the matter,” When a Coven Leader gave a command, Witches and Warlocks weren’t allowed to go against it as a Coven’s Leader’s orders are final. However, her lack of magic had been found out so there was little point in hiding it now.  
“A direct order?” Caius repeated in annoyance but even he couldn’t question it. He knew enough about Witch and Warlock customs to know what this meant.  
“Yes,” Demi said as she looked to the ground, “Camille feared that my not having magic may be seen as an insult and didn’t want to offend anyone. I am sorry for deceiving you,” Demi bowed slightly in respect, hoping that she had fought her corner.  
Aro went to ask another question but he stopped when the doors to the Throne Room burst open and Heidi run in. At the interruption, Caius scowled, “What is the meaning of this?” He demanded with a harsh expression.  
“She’s awake.” Heidi said, her eyes widened, “Jane’s woken up,”  
Alec’s eyes widened as he darted off, not waiting for his Masters' orders as he ran off to be by his sister’s side. He was gone in a flash that Demi wouldn’t have known he was even there.  
At the news, Demi smiled and sigh in relief and she shot a grateful look to Felix and Demetri. The antitoxin had worked and now she was awake. Aro seemed to catch this expression and frowned, “You don’t seem very surprised by this, why is that?” No one had expected Jane to wake up for some time especially since they hadn’t managed to do anything for her as of yet. They were in the process of contacting another Witch to help with the situation.  
Demi turned her head and smiled at the Three Kings, “I may not be able to use magic but I have a knack for potions. I identified the poison and passed on the antidote and it seems it has worked. With the poison out of the way, you can flush the venom from her system,”  
Marcus looked down at her and tilted his head, “Why would you do this?”  
For a moment, Demi was shocked that Marcus had even spoken to her again and it seemed Aro and Caius were also surprised. “I and Jane may not like each other but I do care for her.” Demi answered honestly.   
Saying nothing, Marcus nodded his head.  
“I am sorry for everything,” Demi said as she addressed everyone in the room, “I think it would be best if I leave. I’ll arrange for someone else to attend, someone who actually has magic,” Demi smiled in self-deprecation at her own inability. She was aware that other Witches in her Coven would have returned back from her pilgrimage and she was sure any of them could do a better job.   
Aro frowned, “Is that something you want?”  
The hurt and betrayal in Alec’s eyes from earlier flashed through Demi’s mind. She had caused him so much pain and she felt the best thing she could do for him was leave. “Yes, it is,” Demi knew that they would all be able to tell she was lying but she didn’t care.  
Luckily, none of them commented about her lie as she left the room. She needed to pack up her stuff and get in contact with Camille. This wasn’t a phone call she was going to be looking forward to but she had little choice. In her eyes, she had screwed up and now she would never get a chance to prove that she maintained the Treaty.  
Aro, Caius and Marcus waited until Demi and the other Guards were far away from the Throne Room before they began to speak to one another. They had taken that moment to think about what happened. Surprisingly, it was Marcus who broke the silence first. “I thought we agreed not to mention anything yet?” He asked as he looked to Caius – as he was the one who called Demi out. The Kings had been aware of Demi’s lack of magic for a while since Demi and Alec had been attacked by the Romanian Vampires at Volterra’s border. It was Aro that spotted how unusual Demi’s fire was through Alec’s memories and it didn’t take long to draw the next conclusion.  
“She’s been lying to us this entire time!” Caius defended with a hiss. “Who knows what else she is hiding from us!”   
Aro frowned, “I admit, we could have handled this better.” This was not the outcome he had excepted nor wanted.  
“They have insulted us,” Caius argued back, his eyes darkened in anger, “They send a Witch who has no magic who had instructions not to tell us. They need to pay,” This was a betrayal he would not forgive nor would be forgotten. His opinions of Witches were already low but now it had reached new heights.  
“But she is Alec’s Mate,” Marcus interjected calmly.  
Caius fell silent with a sour expression, as did Aro. Under usual circumstances, the Witch would have been sent back to the Coven or she would have been punished as per the Treaty. However, this wasn’t the usual because this Witch also happened to be Alec’s Mate. If they did anything to Demi then Alec would bare a lot of consequences and they would risk losing him.  
“The fact she has no magic is no fault of her own,” Marcus continued, “The fault lies with her Coven,”  
Aro nodded his head, “I agree. In fact, this complicates things less as she could be more likely to accept becoming a Vampire,” His eyes lit up at the thought of Demi becoming a Vampire. She would be an excellent addition to the Guards and if her fire power stayed with her it would make her a formidable opponent, strengthening the Volturi even more.  
“That’s if she even wants to become a Vampire,” Marcus argued back. Becoming a Vampire was no small decision, it was a huge one to make. If Demi became a Vampire she would be forced to leave her Coven and everything behind. They had already seen that not everyone appreciated this transition – Jane was a good example, especially when she first became a Vampire.  
Caius glared at him suspiciously, “You speak on her behalf a lot,”  
Marcus returned his stare with a blank one, “She reminds of Didyme,”  
The room fell silent at the mention of Marcus’ deceased Mate and Aro’s sister. Aro refused to meet his eyes and Caius’ expression turned sombre. It wasn’t very often that Marcus mentioned Didyme as he was often in his own dream world, but when he did, it always made an impact. Neither Aro nor Caius could understand what Marcus had been through and they didn’t want to.  
“Something does need to be done. We can’t let this slide again otherwise we could be seen as too soft,” Aro said with a thoughtful expression. They couldn’t afford to be seen as soft at that moment, especially not when they were under attack from the Romanian Coven.  
For a moment, Caius was silent but then a thought hit him. “I have an idea,”  
Aro and Marcus turned to face him, waiting to hear what his idea would be.

TWILIGHT 

Back in her room, Demi had already pulled out the suitcase from under the bed and had started to pack. She had started with her clothes, folding them neatly as she mentally prepared herself for the phone call she was going to have to make. It didn’t take her long before all her personal items were packed and that left the room bare. Demi looked around the room forlornly, she didn’t want to leave and she couldn’t believe she had been in Volterra for sixteen days. So much had happened and she would cherish these memories for a long time. Demi had decided that it was better if she left, she couldn’t stand to see wounded expressions on people’s faces anymore as it was too heart-breaking. Demi walked over to the desk and picked up her mobile phone and was about to call Camille when her bedroom door burst open.  
Demi’s head snapped in the direction of the door, jumping at the sudden noise and was surprised when she saw Alec. Her breath caught in her throat when her eyes caught him and she noticed how dark they were, they were almost black. The very sight of him caused her to drop the phone on the desk, not caring if it broke.   
“You’re leaving?” Alec’s voice was eerily calm and it sent shivers down her spine.  
“I am,” Demi answered back lowly.  
“Why?” Alec demanded.  
For a moment, Demi said nothing and she turned her back to him, “You need a proper Witch on this case. Not a fraud like me,”  
In a matter of seconds, Demi’s body was forcibly turned around and now she was looking directly at Alec, his gaze burning her with how intense his eyes were. Her mouth instantly went dry with how close he was and his hands on her shoulders sent her pulse racing. “Don’t you dare degrade yourself like that,” Alec said, his voice strong and commanding, “I won’t have it.”  
Demi’s face heated up at his words but they warmed her heart.  
Alec dropped his arms from her shoulders, “Why didn’t you tell me?” When Marcus had informed him about Demi wanting to leave he felt like his heart had shattered into a million pieces. The very thought of Demi leaving sent him spiralling and he knew he had to stop her before she left and he lost her forever.  
Tears stung her eyes as moisture gathered, “Because I am ashamed. I have always wanted to use magic but I was never granted that wish.” Her body shivered as she tried to hold back her tears but failed miserably. A loud sob racked her body and she tried to wipe away the tears so Alec wouldn’t see them but it was too late.  
Without another thought, Alec wrapped his arms around Demi and pulled her close to him, stroking her hair soothingly to cry and calm her. “There is nothing wrong with you. You are perfect the way you are. Not having magic is nothing to be ashamed about,”  
“You don’t understand,” Demi shook her head as the tears fell down her face, “I am seen as a failure, a mistake,” These weren’t the words the children had whispered but the Elders of her Coven. The Elders saw her as a mistake, a burden and a misfortune upon the Coven. They had expressed their opinions many times and had no issues about telling a child that she was a waste of space.  
Alec growled lowly, his chest vibrating at the action. He wanted to make everyone in her Coven pay for their words. No one deserved to be told any of those things, especially not a child.  
Demi looked up at him, sadness and fear in her green eyes. “I was scared you would think the same if you found out,” As time had gone on and she realised her feelings for Alec, she was worried about what he would think once he found out the truth about her.  
“Never!” Alec instantly said as he shook his head, appalled that she could even think that, “I would never think that of you. I will spend the rest of my life trying to prove that to you,” His grip on her waist tightening a fraction but not enough to harm her. He was always really careful when he handled her because he knew how much stronger he was but Alec was very confident in his self-control.  
This warmed Demi’s heart, the conviction of his words almost made her believe him but she was still afraid. “I am sorry that I never told you,”  
Alec shook his head, “I understand why you did it. It was a command from your Coven Leader, you didn’t have much of a choice in the matter so that can’t be held against you.” The person he was angriest with was the Coven Leader for forcing Demi into this situation. If the Coven Leader had allowed Demi to be honest from the beginning they wouldn’t be in this situation.  
At that moment, Demi felt like a massive weight had been lifted from her. She had been worried that Alec would blame her and would push her away. “Thank you for being so understanding,” Demi whispered softly as she cuddled into his chest happily.  
Alec chuckled, a lovely sound in Demi’s mind, “There was nothing to forgive. But, is there anything else you’re hiding?” He asked curiously as he looked down.  
“None of the top of my head. But if I remember, I’ll tell you straight away,” Demi promised, meaning every word. Keeping this secret had become so much harder as time went on because she had begun to think of them differently.  
“That’s all I can ask for, and I promise to do the same,” Alec said, not wanting any more secrets between them.  
Demi nodded in agreement and sighed in relief, fully relaxing in his strong arms.  
“So,” Alec said, his chest tightening at the thought, “Are you still leaving?”  
“No,” Demi answered back with ease, “As long as you want me here, I’ll stay.” She didn’t want to leave in the first place but she couldn’t stand the thought of hurting the people she cared about. She had thought that Alec didn’t care for her anymore and so her first instinct had been to leave but now that she didn’t have to leave, she didn’t want to leave.  
Happy with the answer, Alec kissed the top of Demi’s head and it made her heart flutter. “Thank you for helping Jane, you didn’t have to,”  
“We may not get on but I wanted to help her,” Demi said.  
Alec pulled back for a moment and used his finger to push Demi’s chin so they faced one another. “Regardless, thank you. It means a lot of me that you did that,”  
Demi flushed under his gaze and smile shyly. Not able to resist the pull much longer, Alec dipped his head down and captured her lips with his. Demi gasped into the kiss but instantly melted into his arms. This kiss was soft and tender, it was everything Demi adored and it left her craving more. Demi moved her hand and put it behind Alec’s head and tilted her head, deepening the kiss further. Alec groaned into the kiss as the venom in his body heated up under her touch.  
Slowly, Alec pulled away from the kiss and watched in satisfaction as Demi was left breathless. “I love you,” He wasn’t expecting for her to say it back, not even close, but he just wanted her to know that he loved her.  
Demi’s face flushed a brilliant shade of red that travelled down her neck, “I really like you. I am not there yet, but I will soon,” Demi knew that she was falling in love with him. She felt comfortable now that she was his Mate and the pull she felt towards him was irresistible.  
Alec’s eyes lit up at the admission and he smiled widely.


End file.
